IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microreproductions  historiquas 


Tachnicai  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notaa  tachniquwn  et  bibliographiquas 


Th«  Instituta  has  attampted  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturas  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagas  in  tha 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
tha  usual  msthod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


QColourad  covars/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


p~|    Covars  damagad/ 


D 


D 


D 
D 
D 


D 


D 


Couvartura  andommagia 


Covars  rastorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  rastaurAa  at/ou  pallicuMa 


r~|    Cover  titia  missing/ 


La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gAographiques  en  couieur 


□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  >han  blue  or  black)/ 
Encrf  da  couieur  (i.e.  c^^tre  que  bieue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planchaa  at/ou  illustrations  en  couieur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Rolii  avac  d'autres  documents 

Fight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr^e  peut  cauaar  da  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distorsion  la  long  da  la  marge  intAriaure 

Blank  leaves  adc*ad  during  restoration  msy 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  sjoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  la  texte. 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  i*i  filmAes. 

AdditionsI  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplimentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  la  meilleur  exempiaire 
qu'il  lui  a  iti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Las  details 
de  cet  exempiaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  imege  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mtthoda  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqute  ci-dessous.  ^■-^     ■ 


pn    Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pagee  da  couieur 

Pagea  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtes 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restauries  at/ou  pelliculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxei 
Pages  dicolories.  tacheties  ou  piquies 


[~~|    Pagea  damaged/ 

r~l    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~^    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 


□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachies 

HShowthrough/ 
Transparence 

□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qusliti  inigala  de  {'impression 

□    Includes  supplementary  materiel/ 
Comprend  du  matiriel  supplAmentaire 

□    Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  psges  totaiement  ou  partieilement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  itik  filmtes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  i 
obtenir  la  meilleure  imege  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 


10X 

MX 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

J 

12X 


16X 


20X 


a4x 


28X 


32X 


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tails 
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Th«  copy  filmad  h«r«  has  b««n  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  of  Parliamtnt  ind  tha 
National  Library  of  Canada. 

Tha  imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  liaat  quality 
poaaibia  conaidaring  tha  condidon  and  iagibillty 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  Icaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  apaoiffcadona. 


Original  eoplaa  in  printad  papar  eovara  ara  filmad 
baglnning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  filmad  baglnning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa* 
aion.  and  ending  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustrstad  impraaaion. 


L'axampialra  filmA  fut  raproduit  grica  i  la 
gAnArositi  da: 

La  BibltotMqua  du  Parlamsnt  at  la 
Bibliotfitqua  nattonala  du  Canada. 

Laa  imagaa  sulvantaa  ont  4tA  raproduitaa  avac  la 
plua  grand  soln,  compta  tenu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattati  da  i'axamplaira  filmA.  at  an 
eonformhi  avac  laa  condltiona  du  contrat  da 
fNmaga. 

Laa  axamplalraa  originaux  dont  fa  eouvartura  9n 
papiar  aat  imprim4a  sont  fllmte  on  comman^nt 
par  la  pramlar  plat  at  an  tarminant  aoit  par  la 
damMra  paga  qui  eomporta  una  ampraima 
dlmpraaakm  ou  dlllustradon.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  eas.  Toua  lee  eutree  exempiairee 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  eommen^ant  par  la 
pramlAra  paga  qui  eomporta  una  empreinta 
dimpraeelon  ou  dllluetration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  damlAra  paga  qui  eomporta  une  telle 


>;-'■. 


The  laat  recorded  frame  on  each  microfieha 
shell  contain  tha  symbol  —^(meaning  "CON- 
T1NUE0").  or  the  symbol  ▼  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  appliae. 


Un  dee  symbolee  sulvents  epperaftra  sur  la 
damMre  image  do  cheque  microfiche,  seion  le 
cae:  le  symbols  -»  signifle  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
eymbola  ▼  signifle  "FIN". 


Mepe.  platae.  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmad  at 
different  reduction  ratioa.  Thoae  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  expoeure  ere  filmed 
beginning  in  tha  upper  left  hand  comer,  left  to 
right  end  top  to  bottom,  ae  many  framae  ae 
required.  The  folkiwing  diagrama  illuatrata  tha 
method: 


planchee.  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvem  Atre 
filmte  i  dee  taux  da  rMuction  diff brents. 
Lorsque  le  document  eet  trop  grand  pour  4tre 
reproduit  en  un  saul  cllchA.  il  eet  film*  i  partir 
da  Tangle  eup4rieur  gauche,  do  gauche  i  droite, 
et  da  haut  en  bee,  en  prenent  le  nombre 
dlmagae  n4ceesaira.  Lee  diagrammee  suivants 
illuatrent  la  m4thoda. 


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AITS 


RESTING    RETREATS 


AXONO  THI 


lLBkt»,  i^iberis,  antr  JBountamief 


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Northern  Maine  and  New  Brunswick. 


^  ■ .              ■'   ,*^ 

ISSUED   BY  THE 

NEW    BRUNSWICK    RAILWAY. 

E.  R.  Burpee,  General  Manager. 
N.  T.  Gbeathead,  G.P.A. 


EASTERN  R.R. 

Arthur  Sewell,  President. 

L.  TUTTLE,  G.P.A. 

Bodton,  MaHH. 


Mi\INE  CENTRAL  R.R. 

PAY80N  Tucker,  OenH  Manager. 

F.  E.  BOOTHBY,  G.P.A. 

Portland,  Me. 


BAND  AVKRY  BBPPI.T  CO.,  IIOSTON. 


?'.;>. 


■<il!r■'^■■■•  ^fV/'i'i 


INTRODUCTION. 


«  • » 


'HE  desire  to  go  fishing  is  inherent  in  every  son  of 
Adam.  It  remains  in  what  anatomists  call  a 
"  rudimentary "  state  about  as  long  as  original 
sin  does, — that  is,  until  the  youth  has  stepped  into 
his  first  pair  of  long  boots,  — when  it  springs  forth 
into  marvellous  life  and  activity.  In  the  make-up 
of  the  average  city  man  and  woman,  there  also  exists  a 
longing  for  nature  just  as  it  came  from  the  hand  of  the 
divine  Artificer;  a  sort  ofje  ne  sais  quoi,  which  finds  expres- 
sion in  those  marvellous  institutions  known  as  picnics ;  nn 
indefinable  and  insatiable  appetite  for  the  new  and  the 
natural,  which  has  sent  tourists  from  our  shores  tramping 
over  every  island  and  mountain  between  the  poles.  The 
human  soul  wearies  of  modern  improvements,  longs  for  the 
world  of  its  grandfather's  days,  and  flies  to  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  to  find  and  enjoy  it  for  a  little  while. 
Vain  hope  I  As  sure  as  fate  and  as  remorseless  as  the  tax- 
collector,  fast  in  the  wake  of  the  pioneer  tourist  comes  the 
modern  landlord  with  his  enormous  hotel,  his  transcendent 
clerks,  with  railroads,  telegraphs,  daily  papers,  and  all  those 
other  things  which  make  a  holiday  a  farce,  and  banish 
nature  to  regions  yet  unexplored. 

Gentle  reader,  I  have  a  secret  for  you;  but  tell  it  not  to 
any  one,  lest  all  the  world  should  hear  it,  and  hasten  to  the 

3 


spot  There  is  a  land  where  lofty  hills  raise  their  summits 
to  the  clouds,  and  not  so  much  as  a  footpath  upon  them; 
vast  forests,  large  enough  to  make  a  dozen  States  like  Rhode 
Island,  given  over  to  the  bear,  the  moose,  and  other  game ; 
a  hundred  lakes  on  whose  bosom  are  flocks  of  wild  fowl ; 
and,  let  me  whisper  it,  streams  where  salmon  and  trout 
crowd  each  other  in  darksome  pools  beneath  the  shadow  of 
trees  which  were  old  when  "The  Mayflower  "  dropped  her 
anchor  in  Plymouth  Bay ;  and  all  these  within  twenty-four 
hours'  rail  of  Boston.  There  the  most  devoted  lover  of 
"roughing  it  "can  have  his  fill  of  pleasure.  There  those 
who  revel  in  contemplation  of  the  sublime  and  beautiful  will 
find  glorious  landscapes  and  magnificent  combinaMons  of 
rocks,  water,  and  verdure.  . 

If  the  tourist  prefers  to  sojourn  in  the  quiet  cities  and 
towns  of  "away  down  East,"  he  will  find  very  much  to 
interest  him.  In  St.  John,  the  commercial  headquarters  of 
the  Province  of  New  Brunswick  and  a  large  part  of  Nova 
Scotia ;  in  Fredei-ictou,  the  pretty  capital  of  the  Province ; 
in  St.  Andrews,  the  most  charmingly  situated  watering-place 
on  the  whole  sea-coast, —  there  are  many  things  worth  see- 
ing. It  is  a  little  over  one  hundred  years  since  the  St.  John 
Valley  was  first  settled;  but  tb(?  people  who  inhabit  it,  their 
associations,  their  business  and  political  connections,  and 
the  character  of  their  country,  have  combined  to  produce  a 
social  and  industrial  concUtion  unlike  anything  in  the  United 
States,  yet,  withal,  interesting  and  progressive.  In  many 
respects  the  tourist  from  the  States  will  find  his  surround- 
ings much  like  those  at  home  ;  in  many  others,  especially  if 
he  knows  how  to  look  beneath  the  surface  of  things,  he  will 
discover  novelties.  The  Provinces  aft'ord  a  quaint  combina- 
tion of  the  old  and  the  new,  of  staid  English  conservatism 
and  pushing  American  enterprise ;  and  there  is  scarcely  a 
locality  not  worthy  a  visit  from  those  in  pursuit  of  pleasure 
or  instruction,  or  both  combined. 


& 


J. 


4« 


4^ 


4» 


INTRODUCTION. 


"  The  valley  of  the  St.  John,  or,  more  properly  speaking, 
Western  New  Brunswick,  is  intersected  in  all  directions  by 
the  New  Brunswick  Railway,  which  has  branches  running 
to  all  the  pnncipal  centres  of  population,  as  well  as  into  the 
heart  of  the  far-famed  county  of  Aroostook  in  the  State  of 
Maine.  The  route  of  the  several  lines  embraced  in  the  New 
Brunswick  Railway  Company's  system  lies,  for  the  most 
part,  through  districts  of  great  natural  beauty.  At  all  of  its 
principal  stations,  and  at  all  its  terminal  points,  there  is 
much  to  interest  pleasure-seekers;  while  from  the  stations 
on  the  northern  end  of  the  railway,  some  of  the  best  inland 
fishing-grounds  in  America  can  be  reached  in  from  one  to 
five  hours'  drive. 

The  stream  of  pleasure-travel  to  this  interesting  country 
is  already  very  large,  but  the  area  over  which  it  is  distributed 
is  so  extensive  that  the  number  of  tourists  might  be  quadru- 
pled, and  yet  scores  of  charming  localities  would  remain 
without  a  visitor. 

From  Boston,  connection  is  made  by  the  Eastern  and 
Maine  Central  Railroads,  with  the  New  Brunswick  Railway 
at  Vanceboro'on  the  international  boundary  line.  The  tourist 
may  here  turn  southward  to  St.  Andrews,  may  proceed  east- 
ward to  St.  John  or  Fredericton,  or  turn  northward  to  Wood- 
stock, Aroostook,  or  the  fishing-grounds  on  the  tributaries 
of  the  Upper  St.  John ;  excursion  tickets  to  either  of  these 
l»oints,  at  reduced  rates,  being  sold  by  the  lines  mentioned 
above.  He  will  be  able  to  tell,  after  reading  this  pamphlet 
through,  which  one  he  will  visit,  or  whether  he  will  extend 
his  holiday  long  enough  to  make  a  flying  trip  to  them  all. 


-.• 


"OPEN    SEASON" 


▲NO 


RESTING    RETRP:]ATS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  ST.  JOHN. 

►HE  River  St.  John  is  justly  celebrated  for  ite  scen- 
ery. It  is  a  noble  river.  Rising  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State  of  Maine,  it  flows  northward, 
receiving  numerous  tributaries.  At  a  distance  of 
three  hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  it  turns  east- 
ward, curving  around  the  northernmost  peaks  of 
the  Alleghanies  in  a  grand  sweep  of  seventy-five  miles; 
thence  it  takes  a  southward  course,  widening  as  it  goes,  until 
it  finds  its  way  to  the  sea  through  a  rocky  gateway  whose 
walls  tower  grandly  above  the  ebbing  and  flowing  tide.  For 
three  hundred  miles  farm  succeeds  farm  on  either  shore 
"without  a  break,  except  where  some  town  or  village  raises 
its  spires  heavenward.  It  reaches  from  the  present  away  back 
into  the  past.  To  ascend  it  from  its  mouth  to  its  source  is 
to  travel  backward  over  two  centuries  of  Canadian  historv. 


8 


OPEN   SEASON. 


At  the  sea-shore,  where  its  waters  mingle  with  the  ocean,  are 
ships  laden  in  marts  far  distant;  and  on  every  hand  the 
evidence  of  a  refined  civilization.  Two  hundred  miles  and 
more  up  the  river  we  see  the  new  farm  and  rough  cottage  of 
the  pioneer  English  settler.  A  few  miles  farther  we  enter  a 
remnant  of  "Ancient  Acadie,"  with  many  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  Evangeline's  days  yet  remaining.  A  little 
farther  still,  and  we  see  the  bright  light  of  burning  flam- 
beaux marking  where  the  Indian,  spear  in  hand*,  hovers  over 
the  deep  pool  in  which  lazy  salmon  are  swimming.  And, 
farther  still,  the  great  river  is  only  a  forest  brook,  winding 
among  grand  trees  not  yet  desecrated  by  the  woodsman's 
axe.  The  St.  John  has  witnessed  many  stirring  scenes. 
Where  the  wharves  of  Carleton  now  are,  and  salt  sea-breezes 
blow  in  from  the  sea,  —  a  prosaic-looking  place  enough, — 
was  enacted  a  grand  drama  of  woman's  heroism;  and  so  long 
as  Canada  has  a  history  will  the  name  of  Madame  Latour 
and  the  fame  of  her  heroic  defence  of  Fort  La  Tour  be  re- 
membered. Within  a  stone's  throw  of  Gibson  Station,  on 
the  New  Brunswick  Railway,  stood  Fort  Nachouac,  for  a 
long  time  the  centre  of  French  power  in  Acadie.  Of  the 
■gallant  struggles  here,  in  which  the  Chevalier  Villebon 
played  so  grand  a  part,  there  is  now  no  trace,  except  an  occa- 
sional bullet  or  rusted  sabre  which  the  ploughshare  finds  in 
the  mellow  soil.  At  Au-pak,  or  head  of  tide,  —  now  called 
Savage  Island,  —  a  few  miles  above  Fredericton,  there  stood, 
about  a  century  ago,  a  large  building  of  poles, — the  great 
council-house  of  the  Melicetes,  who  then  controlled  the 
whole  river;  the  Mohawks  having  retired  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence after  the  treaty  of  Am-wee-nac.  Along  the  shores  of 
this  river  in  days  yet  longer  past,  the  Mohawks  waged  such 
terrible  warfare,  that,  even  though  ten  generations  have 
come  and  gone  since  the  last  battle  was  fought,  the  Meli- 
cete  to-day  shudders  at  the  mention  of  their  name. 

Since   1784,  when   a  regular  provincial  government  was 


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established  in  New  Brunswick  and  Fredericton,  founded 
by  Gov.  Thomas  Carleton,  the  River  St.  John  has  been  a 
scene  of  long-continued  peace.  The  first  English-speaking 
settlers  upon  the  St.  John  came  somewhat  earlier  than  this. 
In  1761  Israel  Perley  was  sent  from  Massachusetts  to  explore 
what  was  afterwards  called  Sunbury  County,  Nova  Scotia, 
and  is  now  New  Brunswick.  Proceeding  overland  from  the 
settlements  in  Southern  Maine,  he  came  upon  the  head  waters 
of  the  Oromocto,  which  stream  he  followed  to  the  St.  John, 
and  found  the  deserted  farms  of  the  Acadians.  lliis  expe- 
dition led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Maugerville  Colony 
from  Massachusetts.  In  1839  a  war-cloud  appeared  on  the 
horizon,  owing  to  certain  territorial  disputes  between  the 
British  Government  and  the  United  States ;  but,  thanks  to 
the  good  sense  of  both  parties,  a  collision  was  avoided.  The 
American  tourist  who  finds  his  way  into  Aroostook,  and 
walks  through  its  thriving  towns,  or  drives  out  among  its 
magnificent  farms,  ought  to  bless  the  mem|^  of  Daniel 
Webster,  who  secured  for  his  government  this  territory  in 
the  treaty  which  followed  "  the  Aroostook  War." 

From  a  point  two  and  a  half  miles  above  Grand  Falls, 
the  St.  John  is  the  international  boundary,  and  continues 
to  be  so  for  seventy-three  miles.  In  all  its  four  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  of  course  there  is  no  choicer  scenery  than 
is  to  be  found  in  this  portion.  The  hills  are  bolder,  the 
islands  smaller  and  more  picturesque,  than  they  are  farther 
down  river,  and,  although  there  are  wanting  those  grand 
stretches  of  water  which  characterize  the  Lower  St.  John, 
their  place  is  more  than  supplied  by  the  curving  shores 
which  limit  the  field  of  view,  and  give  it  a  lake-like  char- 
acter. 

The  central  point  on  the  Upper  St.  John  is  the  Grand 
Falls,  and  it  is  central  not  only  in  point  of  distance,  but  by 
reason  of  its  excellent  hotel  accommodation.  The  Grand 
Falls  Hotel  is  a  new  house  expressly  intended  for  tourists. 


10 


OPEN   SEASON. 


/" 


and  kept  in  first-class  style.  There  are  several  other  houses 
which  furnish  good  accommodation.  Whatever  may  be  the 
ultimate  destination  of  the  down-East  tourist,  he  is  recom- 
mended to  include  Grand  Falls  in  his  trip,  and,  if  he  confine 
himself  to  the  Upper  St.  John,  to  make  that  town  his  head- 
(juarters. 

From  Bangor,  Me.,  to  Woodstock,  N.B.,  the  scenery  along 
the  line  is  a  succession  of  mills  and  tanneries,  rivers  and 
forests,  granite  rocks  and  pine-trees,  farms  and  practical-look- 
ing towns  and  villages,  but  not  much  to  awaken  enthusiasm 
after  leaving  the  Penobscot  River.  That  portion  of  the 
New  Brunswick  Railway  by  which  the  traveller  approaches 
Woodstock  possesses  some  interest  apart  from  its  capacity  as 
a  common  carrier  of  freight  and  passengers,  it  having  been 
t  he  first  road  projected  in  Canada ;  the  late  John  Wilson  of 
St.  Andrews,  N.B.,  having  proposed  its  construction  from 
that  town  to  Quebec  in  1828,  —  only  three  years  after  the 
opening  of  Siephenson's  first  railway. 

"Woodstocls.  is  prettily  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  St. 
John,  a  hundred  and  forty-seven  miles  from  the  sea,  and  is 
a  town  of  about  three  thousand  population.  It  is  the  centre 
of  as  fine  an  agricultural  district  as  can  be  found  in  the 
same  latitude  in  America.  The  roads  through  the  adjoin- 
ing parishes,  bordered  as  they  are  with  well-tilled  farms,  on 
which  are  admirable  substantial  and  ornamental  dwellings, 
afford  a  series  of  carriage-drives  not  to  be  surpassed  in  inter- 
est and  beauty.  Twelve  miles  distance  by  a  road,  from  a 
point  upon  which  is  a  magnificent  view  of  hills  and  valleys, 
with  the  grand  summit  of  Katahdin  in  the  background,  is 
Iloulton,  a  genuine  Yankee  village,  a  bustling  lively  place, 
and  a  pretty  one  as  well.  Iloulton  has  railway  connection 
with  the  New  Brunswick  Rnilway  system  by  a  short  branch 
line,  and  is  happy  in  the  matter  of  hotel  accommodation. 

From  Woodstock  northward  the  railway  follows  the  course 
OL  thy  St.  John,  and  for  one  hundred  and  thirteen  miles  the 


f 


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^ 


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i. 


-*;.^ 


- .  /^ 


i 


BESTING  RETREATS. 


11 


traveller  is  scarcely  out  of  sight  of  the  river  for  five  minutes 
at  a  time.  For  nearly  every  mile  of  this  distance  the  coun- 
try is  finely  cultivated ;  and  the  landscape  is  an  ever-chan- 
ging panorama  of  broad  farms,  snug  homesteads,  winding 
river,  tree-fringed  islands,  dark  groves  of  evergreens  or  the 
lighter  foliage  of  birch  and  maple  crowning  tlie  gently 
sloping  hills,  and  here  and  there  coming  down  to  the  river- 
bank.  One  pretty  village  succeeds  another,  and  every  turn 
in  the  roadway  opens  long  vistas  of  as  fair  a  land  as  one  can 
wish  to  look  upon.  Moose  Mountain  stands  out  boldly  upon 
the  northern  horizon,  noticeable,  not  for  its  height,  but  be- 
cause it  contrasts  so  strongly  with  its  surroundings.  It  gets 
its  name  from  its  resemblance  to  the  shoulders  of  a  moose. 

At  Newburg  Junction,  six  miles  from  Woodstock,  connec- 
tion is  made  with  the  Gibson  branch  of  the  New  Brunswick 
Railway,  by  which  Fredericton  is  reached  after  a  ride  of 
fifty-seven  miles  through  an  interesting  country.  The  trav- 
eller from  the  West,  who  intends  to  make  Fredericton  his 
first  stopping-place,  would  not,  however,  take  this  route. 

"Mnniac,  Munia,c!"  calls  out  the  brakesman  as  the 
train  rolls  up  to  an  unpretending  station  forty-eight  miles 
from  Woodstock.  A  very  pretty  landscape  the  river  makes 
here  as  it  sweeps  between  the  hills;  but  it  is  not  for  this 
that  we  pause  to  notice  the  spot,  nor  are  we  interested  by 
the  stories  of  possible  gold-mines  among  the  deep  ravines, 
through  which  flows  the  stream  from  which  the  station 
takes  it  name.  This  is  historic  ground,  for  it  is  Am-wee- 
nac  where  the  pipe  of  peace  was  smoked  by  the  Melicetes 
and  Mohawks  after  a  war  which  had  lasted  for  many 
moons.  Tradition  tells  us  that  long  ago  the  contending 
tribes,  wearied  with  conflict,  had  lain  aside  the  bow,  and 
sought  rest, — the  Micmacs  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Temis- 
quata ;  the  Melicetes,  at  Au-pak,  or  head  of  tide.  Winter 
was  coming  on,  and  the  warriors  went  to  the  sea  for  Pas- 
ka-dum  qua-diah,  or  haddock.      [The   down-East  reader 


12 


OPEN  SEASON. 


tXjm 


will  here  find  the  origin  of  the  name  Passamaquoddy.] 
Nine  men  only  were  left  at  the  home  encampment.  Two 
of  these,  while  hunting,  made  their  way  to  Am-wee-nac, 
where  they  found  encamped  a  large  party  of  Mohawks 
preparing  for  a  descent  on  Au-pak.  Quickly  they  returned, 
and  took  counsel  with  their  friends,  which  resulted  in  the 
nine  men  embarking  in  their  canoes  to  try  and  accomplish 
by  strategy  what  they  could  not  by  force.  Approaching 
Am-wee-nac,  they  kept  close  to  the  western  shore  of  the 
river,  out  of  arrow-shot  from  the  Mohawk  encampment,  and 
one  after  the  other  passed  around  the  point,  landed,  carried 
their  canoes  into  the  woods,  hurried  across  a  narrow  neck 
of  land  to  the  river  again,  a  little  way  below,  and  again 
poled  up  around  the  point;  and  thus  they  kept  up  with 
the  three  canoes  a  steady  procession  all  day  long,  and,  so 
the  story  goes,  long  into  the  night.  Meanwhile,  all  was 
excitement  in  the  Mohawk  camp,  and  fear  that  the  Meli- 
cetes  were  too  strong  in  numbers  to  be  successfully  coped 
with;  so  that  when  morning  came,  and  five  of  the  nine 
came  over  to  propose  a  truce,  the  calumet  was  quickly 
brought,  and  a  lasting  treaty  agreed  upon ;  and  so,  saith  the 
veracious  chronicler  Gabe,  a  sturdy  hunter  of  the  olden  sort, 
ended  the  war  in  which  had  been  spent  the  best  blood  of 
three  generations  of  warriors.  "Is  it  true,  Gabe?"  we 
asked.  "  You  no  believe  him,  mebbee  you  tell  how  war  did 
stop,"  is  the  conclusive  rejoinder. 

Andover  is  a  station  fifty-seven  miles  from  Woodstock. 
There  is  a  pretty  village  here  built  along  the  river-bank 
irregularly  for  about  a  mile.  It  has  two  hotels  and  several 
fine  residences.  Andover  has  many  attractions  to  visitors. 
The  village  itself  is  like  a  hundred  other  little  country 
towns,  though  few,  perhaps,  are  as  prettily  located;  but 
there  is  within  easy  reach  much  that  is  interesting.  A 
drive  of  six  miles  will  take  one  to  the  Aroostook  Falls,  — 
a  charming  spot  for  a  picnic,  and  a  place  well  worth  seeing. 


<    >    t 


41 


«  « 


BESTING  ftUTREATS. 


13 


These  falls  are,  as  their  name  signifies,  on  the  Aroostook 
lliyer,  about  three  miles  from  its  junction  with  the  St.  John. 
Anywhere  else  than  in  this  country  of  grand  scenery,  they 
would  be  noted,  and  people  would  make  long  journeys  to 
see  them.  "  The  Falls "  is  the  name  given  to  a  series  of 
cascades  through  a  wild  and  picturesque  gorge  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  long,  terminating  in  a  deep  pool  with  precipitous 
bai^  a  hundred  feet  high.  There  is  good  trout-fishing 
both  above  and  below  the  Falls,  and  a  good  fisherman  may 
get  a  salmon  in  the  great  pool.  Most  persons  who  visit 
Andover  spend  a  day  at  the  Tobique  Narrows,  or  go  a  short 
distance  up  that  stream  fishing.  The  Narrows  will  be  more 
particularly  described  in  a  succeeding  chapter.  Five  and 
a  half  miles  from  Andover  is  Aroostook  Junction,  whence 
a  branch  line  goes  to  Presque  Isle,  Me.,  thirty-three  miles 
distant.  The  main  line  continues  along  the  St.  John,  and 
at  eighty-one  miles  from  Woodstock  reaches  Grand  Falls. 


V  ■     'I    ■  ^r  ''  '    ..    M. 


. .      •  t     - 


CHAPTER  II. 
GRAND  FALLS,   N.B. 

[EW  places  within  the  reach  of  tourists  possess  so 
many  and  such  a  variety  of  attractions  as  the 
Grand  Falls  of  the  St.  John  River.  In  the  gran- 
deur of  the  cataract,  the  rugged  sublimity  of  the 
gorge,  the  fury  of  the  rapids,  the  rich  coloring  of 
the  rocks,  the  lovely  outlooks  from  the  high  hills, 
the  charming  drives,  the  strong,  pure  air,  the  quaint  cus- 
toms of  the  French  habitans,  and  last,  but  not  least,  the 
excellent  fishing-grounds  within  easy  reach,  it  is  without 
a  successful  rival.  Even  in  the  old  stage-coach  days,  when 
it  was  seventy-five  miles  to  the  nearest  railway-station, 
the  Falls  attracted  many  visitors.  In  1872  in  three  months 
over  twelve  hundred  guests  registered  at  what  is  now  the 
American  House,  then  the  leading  hotel  of  the  place,  and 
most  of  these  were  persons  from  a  distance  spending  a  holi- 
day with  horse  and  carriage  leisurely  through  the  country. 
Since  the  New  Brunswick  Railway  has  reached  there,  the 
tide  of  travel  thither  is  increasing,  and  the  prospect  is,  that 
a  new  claimant  and  a  powerful  one  has  risen  to  demand 
the  attention  of  the  army  of  pleasure -seekers  which  every 
year  is  abroad  in  the  land.  That  the  Falls  will  become 
popular  would  seem  to  be  assured  by  the  fact  that  the  posi- 
14 


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BESTING  RETREATS. 


16 


'+' 


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if 


tion  of  the  town  is  such,  that,  be  it  never  so  warm  a  day, 
there  is  generally  sufficient  circulation  of  air  to  prevent 
sultriness.  Moreover,  there  are  retired  nooks  —  not  a  few, 
but  dozens  of  them  —  among  the  rocks  or  the  recesses  of  the 
neighboring  forests,  where  there  is  perennial  shade;  so  that 
this  town,  though  more  than  a  hundred  miles  in  any  direc- 
tion from  salt  water,  is  in  a  great  measure  free  from  the 
objection,  on  account  of  intense  summer  heat,  which  is  made 
with  so  much  reason  to  many  very  interesting  places.  A 
very  few  words  will  suffice  to  describe  the  town.  It  stands 
on  a  horseshoe-shaped  peninsula  (see  map)  formed  by  a 
bend  in  the  river,  is  laid  out  with  mathematical  regularity, 
and  built  up  with  a  refreshing  indifference  to  any  thing  like 
symmetry.  A  street  large  enough  for  a  farm,  and  called 
Broadway,  runs  through  the  centre  of  the  town.  A  little 
way  from  one  end  of  it  is  the  railway  station,  and  a  little 
way  from  the  other  end  the  Falls.  There  is  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  between  the  two  points.  To  describe  the 
cataract  itself  and  its  surroundings  passes  the  power  of  pen 
or  pencil.  It  is  easy  to  give  heights  and  distances,  and  a 
painter  may  make  the  rocks  stand  out  upon  his  canvas,  and 
the  water  seem  to  seethe  and  boil ;  but  the  best  description, 
the  most  skilful  picture,  would  lack  the  life  of  the  scene. 
The  frowning  cliff  is  overwhelming  to  look  upon,  not  only 
because  its  summit  is  two  hundred  feet  above  the  place 
on  which  we  stand,  but  because  the  mighty  waves  which 
break  against  its  base  proclaim  its  majesty  in  their  thunder. 
The  cataract  is  glorious  to  behold,  not  only  for  its  seventy- 
five  feet  of  height,  but  for  its  changing  lights  and  shadows, 
its  prismatic  effects,  its  steaming  clouds  of  spray,  its  solemn 
voice  which  seems  to  make  the  very  rocks  tremble.  The 
most  one  can  do  is  to  tell  the  visitor  where  to  go,  so  that  he 
may  see  all  that  is  to  be  seen,  and  see  it  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. Let  the  tourist  follow  the  directions  contained  in 
these  pages ;  for  they  have  been  tested  a  hundred  times,  and 


16 


OPEN  SEASON. 


he  will  leave  the  Falls  persuaded  that  not  even  Niagara, 
with  all  its  grandeur,  excels  this  splendid  cataract. 

The  peninsula  upon  which  the  village  stands  is  twenty 
chains  wide  in  the  narrowest  part,  with  banks  nearly  per- 
pendicular descending  to  the  river.  That  next  the  upper 
basin  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  high  ;  that  next 
the  lower  basin,  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  This 
configuration  of  the  country  gives  variety  of  scene,  and  is, 
perhaps  the  reason  why  the  warmest  days  of  summer  are 
usually  tempered  by  a  slight  breeze.  A  ravine  which  was 
formerly  the  old  river-channel  bounds  the  village  on  the 
west,  and  separates  it  from  what  is  known  as  the  mountain, 
the  top  of  which  is  about  twelve  hundred  feet  above  sea- 
level.  One  of  the  pleasantest  walks  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Falls  is  up  the  side  of  this  hill,  and  the  outlook  from 
the  top  is  very  fine.  Seven  hundred  feet  below,  and  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away,  is  the  village.  A  thousand  feet 
below,  and  less  than  half  a  mile  away,  is  the  blue  water 
of  the  lower  basin.  Fair  farms  and  cosey  homesteads 
greet  the  eye  in  every  direction.  You  can  discern  the 
break  of  the  water  as  it  makes  its  first  plunge  at  the  great 
cataract,  and  just  catch  a  glimpse  of  it  as  it  issues  from 
the  mouth  of  the  gorge  foaming  from  its  mile  struggle  with 
the  rocks. 

If  the  first  visit  to  the  Falls  is  made  at  night,  the  best 
place  to  go  to  is  the  bridge.  At  times  a  lunar  bow  can  be 
distinctly  seen  spanning  the  gorge;  and  occasionally  will-o- 
the-wisps  hovering  over  the  moist,  mossy  caverns.  In  the 
daytime  it  is  better  not  to  go  to  the  bridge  in  the  first 
instance.  The  best  course  to  take  is  to  go  down  Front 
Street,  or  the  street  next  the  upper  basin.  From  this  a 
grassy,  shaded  road  turns  to  the  left,  which  leads  directly 
to  the  brink  of  the  caldron  into  which  the  river  plunges 
Without  waiting  to  analyze  the  view,  pass  over  the  canal 
upon  which  the  mill  stands,  and  go  out  to  the  rock  which 


-f 


^ 


■J 


■■■■■■■"■"■    iiiinni 


^ 


"W 


UESTING   RETREATS. 


17 


Jl 


projects  in  the  face  of  the  Falls,  and  a  little  below  the  crest. 
If  these  directions  are  followed,  the  first  impressions  of  the 
Falls  will  exceed  the  most  vivid  anticipations.  It  is  idle  to 
attempt  to  depict  the  scene.  The  plunge  of  the  cataract  is 
seventy-five  feet,  and  the  distance  from  one  side  of  the  gorge 
to  the  other  in  a  straight  line  is  three  hundred  feet.  Except- 
ing in  very  dry  summers  there  is  an  unbroken  curtain  of 
water  from  one  side  to  the  other,  falling  into  a  whirlpool 
of  terrific  power.  Clouds  of  spray  hang  around  the  base 
of  the  Fall,  or  drift  heavily  against  the  black  walls  of 
rock. 

About  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  Sir  John  Caldwell 
dug  fchft  canal,  and  built  a  saw-mill  at  the  Falls.  A  long 
boom  was  pnchored  in  the  stream  above  the  cataract,  and 
men  were  employed  to  guide  into  the  boom  the  logs  which 
floated  down  the  stream.  Two  men  would  man  a  canoe,  and 
they  towed  the  logs  by  means  of  an  iron  dog  and  chain 
fastened  to  the  canoe.  One  day  a  large  pine  log  floated  by 
the  boom,  and  down  towards  the  cataract.  A  canoe  quickly 
went  in  pursuit :  the  dog  was  made  fast,  and  the  voyageurs 
dipped  their  paddles  with  all  their  power,  for  they  had  run 
a  greater  risk  than  usual.  For  a  moment  the  canoe  and  log 
remained  stationary ;  but  soon  the  remorseless  current  bore 
them  backwards  towards  the  abyss,  slowly  at  first,  but  soon 
with  the  speed  of  an  arrow.  One  chance  of  life  remained, 
—  to  break  the  chain :  so  one  of  the  voyageurs  rose,  and 
struck  at  it  with  his  axe.  But  for  once  his  sure  aim  was  at 
fault :  the  axe  missed  its  mark,  and  slipped  from  his  hands 
into  the  water.  And  now  he  dropped  upon  his  knees,  and 
above  the  thunder  of  the  cataract  rose  his  voice  in  prayer 
for  his  wife  and  little  ones.  The  other  sat  motionless,  except 
his  giant  arms,  which  wielded  the  paddle  with  the  energy 
of  despair.  And  so  they  went  to  their  death.  Tradition 
tells  of  another  scene  enacted  here  many  years  ago.  An 
Indian  girl  of  the  Milicetes  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 


18 


OPEN   SEASON. 


Mohawks,  who  had  killed  her  father  and  brothers.  Her 
captors  planned  a  night  descent  upon  her  tribe,  and  she  was 
directed  to  build  a  fire  to  mark  the  nearest  point  to  the  Falls 
which  could  be  safely  approached  by  canoes.  She  built  the 
fire  on  the  rocks  below  the  Falls,  and  then,  as  a  guaranty  of 
her  good  faith,  led  the  advancing  canoes.  Straight  for  the 
light  she  steered.  Closely  the  warriors  followed,  over  the 
Falls  the  whole  band  sailed,  and  none  escaped. 

The  view  from  the  foot  of  the  cataract  is  very  striking; 
and  perhaps  the  best  view  in  the  whole  gorge  is  from  the 
point  which  projects  out  into  the  stream  just  above  the 
outlet  of  the  canal.  Very  few  persons  go  there,  as  it  is 
somewhat  difficult  of  access,  and  it  is  generally  enshrouded 
in  spray. 

After  having  examined  the  points  of  interest  on  the  west 
side,  the  best  course  to  adopt  is  to  cross  the  bridge  to  the 
eastern  shore,  and  go  out  upon  the  rocks  just  below  the  main 
fall.  At  one  point  here  a  descent  can  be  made  to  the  water's 
edge ;  but  it  is  dangerous.  The  best  point  to  see  the  logs 
go  over  the  Falls  is  on  this  side,  and  it  also  affords  the  best 
view  of  the  rapids  at  high  water. 

The  bridge  is  the  second  structure  erected  across  the 
gorge.  The  first  was  upon  a  different  principle  from  this 
one,  and  it  fell,  causing  the  loss  of  two  lives.  The  present 
bridge  is  very  substantial. 

The  fav^orite  place  of  resort  in  the  gorge  is  "  The  Wells," 
situated  about  half  way  between  the  two  basins.  The 
Wells  are  immense  holes  worn  in  the  rock  by  the  action  of 
the  water  upon  small  stones.  They  occur  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  most  all  waterfalls,  but  at  the  Grand  Falls  are 
exceptionally  large.  They  serve  to  indicate  the  immense 
age  of  the  gorge.  So  gradual  is  the  process  of  erosion,  that 
the  work  of  a  year  is  not  noticeable  ;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  in 
twenty-five  years  there  would  be  any  appreciable  increase  in 
the  size,  even  of  those  wells  which  are  always  exposed  to  the 


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action  of  the  water.  This  being  so,  it  is  difHcnlt  to  con- 
ceive of  the  time  occupied  in  wearing  away  the  three  thou- 
sand cubic  feet  of  rock  which  have  been  displaced  to  form 


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THE  "VTELLS,  GRAND  FALLS  NARROWS. 

the  Great  Well,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that  for  cen- 
turies the  water  has  run  through  it  only  for  a  few  months 
in  each  year.  It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  mention  here 
that  geologists  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  Falls  have  worn 


..:■  ..jl  ■-■'^^aow 


20 


OPEN   SEASON. 


their  way  up  from  the  lower  basin  to  the  position  they  now 
occupy.  At  one  time  they  say  the  peninsula  of  Grand  Falls 
was  a  horse-back  separating  a  large  lake  from  the  ocean, 
the  outlet  being  through  the  old  river  valley  near  the  rail- 


SCENE   OPPOSITE  WELLS,   GRAND  FALLS   NARROWS. 

way  station.  Subsequently,  as  the  whole  continent  was 
raised  up  from  the  ocean,  the  old  channel  was  closed,  and 
a  new  one  opened,  following  the  general  course  of  the  pres- 
ent one.  Whether  these  theories  are  correct  or  not,  it  is 
certain  that  forces  of  marvellous  magnitude,  and  slow  in 


BESTING  BETBEATS. 


21 


their  operation,  formed  the  gorge.  This  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  the  strata  are  all  standing  in  nearly  a  per- 
pendicular position,  and  are  twisted,  or  rather  crumpled,  as 
one  would  crumple  the  leaves  of  a  book  by  pressing  upon 
their  edges. 

The  descent  to  the  Wells  is  through  a  grove  of  spruce 
for  the  first  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  or  to  high-water  mark. 
Thence  a  farther  descent  of  fifty  feet  perpendicular,  but 
about  two  hundred  over  the  rocks,  leads  to  a  natural  plat- 
form close  to  the  water.  At  this  point  the  river,  which  just 
above  the  Falls  is  eight  hundred  feet  wide,  is  contracted 
to  a  width  of  sixty  feet,  and  pours  over  a  slanting  fall  of 
thirty  feet.  A  precipice  rising  two  hundred  feet  sheer 
from  the  water  forms  the  opposite  shore.  The  first  feeling 
which  comes  to  a  stranger  as  he  stands  on  this  platform  if 
of  bewilderment.  The  solid  rocks  seem  afloat,  and  to  be 
borne  along  at  headlong  speed  against  the  foaming  water. 
It  is  necessary,  in  order  to  take  in  the  full  majestic  beauty 
of  such  a  spot  as  this,  to  remain  in  contemplation  of  it  until 
this  feeling  of  confusion  gives  place  to  one  of  security;  and 
it  is  because  they  violate  this  rule  that  so  many  persons  who 
visit  great  cataracts  come  away  with  crude  and  unsatisfac- 
tory ideas  respecting  them. 

The  Wells  are  five  in  number ;  one  of  them,  the  smallest, 
being  always  full  of  water,  and  another,  the  largest,  being 
nearly  always  dry.  Pulpit  Rock  is  near  at  hand.  This 
is  a  large  block  standing  upright  on  its  base,  and  is  so 
called  from  its  resemblance  to  an  old-fashioned  pulpit.  It 
is  well  named  too,  for  it  proclaims  with  silent  eloquence  the 
great  power  of  nature.  The  view  up  the  gorge  is  grand 
beyond  description.  It  presents  a  vast  amphitheatre  where- 
of the  floor  is  of  water,  and  the  walls  of  perpendicular 
rock  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  high.  A  frowning  precipice  on  the  farther 
shore  looms  up  like  the  ruined  portal  of  a  cathedral  built 


22 


OPEN   SEASON. 


by  giants.  In  every  direction  are  towering  crags  crowned 
with  foliage,  and  draped  with  mosses  and  lichens  of  all 
shades  and  hues.  The  ceaseless  thunder  of  the  water 
reverberates  through   the  rocky  chamber,  combining  with 


PULPIT   ROCK,  GRAND  FALLS   NARROWS. 

the  rush  of  the  rapids  and  the  grandeur  of  the  rocks  to  call 
up  sensations  of  awe.  There  is  not  within  the  range  of 
summer  travel  a  more  sublime  scene  than  that  presented 
by  this  view  from  the  Wells.  The  illustrations  will  give 
some   little   idea  of   it;   but  they  necessarily  show  only   a 


t 


I,  : 


RESTING  RETREATS. 


28 


part,  and  are,  as  a  matter  of  course,  lacking  in  the  contrast 
between  the  life-like  speed  of  the  water  and  the  solemn 
firmness  of  the  rocks.  r 

The  view  down  the  gorge  at  this  point  is  closely  shut  in 
b^r  the  lofty  rocks,  which  seem  to  bar  the  river's  passage. 
"The  Coffee-Mill,"  a  whirlpool  about  one  hundred  feet  in 
diameter,  forms  a  prominent  feature  in  this  scene.  From 
the  Wells  a  safe  path  leads  up  to  the  bridge.  Every  foot  of 
the  distance  is  interesting.  About  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
Wells  is  a  ravine  the  bottom  of  which  is  of  broken  stone, 
and  slopes  to  the  river.  This  is  the  best  place  to  get  sou- 
venirs of  the  Falls  in  the  shape  of  prettily-marked  stones. 
The  best  are  to  be  found  close  to  the  water.  The  upper  side 
of  this  ravine  rises  at  an  angle  of  about  seventy  degrees  for 
the  first  thirty  feet,  and  above  this  is  perpendicular  for  a 
hundred.  To  one  approaching,  it  appears  an  impassable 
barrier ;  but  on  closer  examination  a  natural  footpath  will  be 
found  about  half  way  up  the  slope,  by  which  the  point  can 
be  passed  without  difficulty.  The  best  course  to  take  from 
this  point  is  directly  out  over  the  rocks,  imtil  a  view  of  the 
bridge  is  obtained.  The  contortions  of  the  strata  are  more 
marked  in  this  part  of  the  gorge  than  in  any  other,  and  are 
worthy  of  particular  examination.  At  the  point  whence  the 
best  view  of  the  bridge  is  obtained  are  three  large  wells  of 
great  depth,  and  always  full  of  water.  A  few  words  descrip- 
tive of  the  scene  at  this  point  will  perhaps  give  an  idea  of 
the  scenery  in  the  gorge.  The  spectator  here  has  before  him 
a  vista  of  white  water,  nearly  half  a  mile  long,  terminating 
.in  the  great  cataract;  and  about  the  middle  distance  the 
bridge  spans  the  gorge  with  a  clear  altitude  of  a  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet.  The  furious  rapid  breaks  upon  the  rocks 
at  his  feet,  and  throws  its  spray  around  him.  The  river  is 
about  a  hundred  feet  wide,  and  the  farther  shore  is  a  preci- 
pice over  two  hundred  feet  high.  On  all  sides,  excepting 
that  occupied  by  the  great  cataract,  the  view  is  shut  in  by 


24 


OPEN   SEASON. 


i'i 


the  lofty  rocks.  These  certainly  are  the  materials  for  grand 
scenery.  The  Cave,  so  called,  is  up  the  rocks  to  the  left, 
and  it  is  visited  by  every  one.  Many  persons  go  no  farther 
up  the  gorge  than  this  point;  but  those  who  do  not  mind  a 
little  climbing  are  recommended  to  go  on,  as  many  most 
interesting  places  lie  between  the  cave  and  the  bridge.  A 
good  path  leads  up  to  the  top  of  the  gorge  near  the  bridge, 
and  most  remarkable  mosses  may  be  found  while  ascending. 
It  will  take  from  four  to  six  hours  to  go  from  the  Wells  to 
the  bridge,  and  see  all  that  is  worth  seeing.  One  accus- 
tomed to  climbing  the  rocks  could  make  the  circuit  in  an 
hour,  but  would  see  very  little. 

Some  of  the  finest  views  at  the  Falls  are  from  points  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  gorge.  They  are  reached  by  going 
out  the  Tobique  Road  (so  called)  marked  on  the  plan  "road 
to  New  Denmark,"  taking  the  first  path  to  the  right  (see 
plan),  and  following  it  around  the  top  of  the  gorge  to  Lover's 
Leap  and  Falls  Brook.  From  the  Grand  Falls  Hotel  to  Falls 
Brook  is  about  a  mile.  After  leaving  the  highway  road, 
one  who  is  intent  on  seeing  the  best  views  will  have  to  trust 
somewhat  to  his  own  exploratory  powers :  the  only  direction 
which  can  be  given  is  to  follow  the  general  course  of  the 
path,  making  occasional  departures  from  it  so  as  to  approach 
near  the  edge  of  the  cliff.  The  Lover's  Leap  is  so  called 
for  no  particular  reason.  It  is  an  overhanging  precipice 
about  a  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  high  and  at  its  base 
is  a  pool  of  unknown  depth  called  Falls  Brook  Basin.  A 
tradition  of  doubtful  authenticity  mentions  this  rock  as  a 
place  whence  Indians  cast  their  captives  taken  in  war.  It 
is  certainly  well  adapted  for  such  a  purpose ;  and  the  tra- 
dition has  this  much  to  commend  it.  The  outlook  from 
the  top  is  superb;  the  deep  black  pool  so  far  below,  the 
lofty  precipices  on  either  side,  the  silvery  threads  of  Falls 
Brook  against  the  deep  gray  of  the  rocks,  the  forest  raising 
its  branches  to  the  sky,  combine  to  make  a  beautiful  pic- 


RESTING  RETREATS. 


25 


ture.  It  is  matter  of  doubt  whether  it  is  harder  work  going 
down  to  Falls  Brook  than  it  is  coming  up  again  :  tlie  only 
thing  certain  about  it  is  that  the  views  from  the  rocks  below 
are  well  worth  the  trouble  of  ascending  and  descending. 
The  easiest  way  to  get  to  Falls  Brook  is  to  go  up  from  the 
lower  basin  in  a  canoe  at  low  water.  At  very  favorable 
seasons  one  may  go  in  this  manner  as  far  as  the  Coffee-Mill, 
and  possibly  skilful  canoe-men  might  reach  the  foot  o '  the 
Falls  at  the  Wells  :  this,  liowevor,  is  only  at  very  low  water. 
At  any  other  time  no  craft  could  live  anywhere  between  the 
two  basins. 

All  tourists  are  recommended  to  begin  at  the  river-bank, 
directly  opposite  the  railway  station,  and  walk  along  until 
they  strike  the  street  nearest  the  gorge,  for  the  views  down 
river,  including  the  lower  basin,  are  especially  fine  ;  also  to 
go  up  the  highway  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river  to  the  top 
of  the  hill  above  the  Falls.  In  driving,  to  go  down  the  road 
to  Salmon  River,  to  the  place  marked  on  the  plan  with  an 
asterisk.  There  is  good  partridge-shooting  down  this  road 
in  the  autumn.  A  very  beautiful  drive  in  the  evening  is  up 
the  road  to  Van  Buren  for  a  mile  or  so.  The  river  above 
the  Falls  makes  a  charming  picture  at  sunset.  The  ascent 
of  the  mountain  has  been  already  spoken  of:  reference  is 
made  to  it  again  for  the  purpose  of  naming  the  elevations 
to  be  seen  from  it.  The  hills  about  the  centre  of  the  field 
of  view,  but  a  little  to  the  right,  are  the  Salmon  River  Moun- 
tains, and  are  about  nine  miles  away.  They  form  a  continu- 
ous range  terminating  on  the  south  in  a  hill  called  Blue  Bell. 
The  pale-blue  range  north  of  these,  and  just  on  the  horizon, 
are  the  Blue  Mountains,  sixteen  hundred  feet  high  and  about 
twenty-five  miles  away.  The  conical  hill  north  of  these  is 
Bald  Head,  twenty-two  hundred  feet  high  and  thirty-five 
miles  away.  If  the  day  is  very  clear,  Bald  Mountain,  the 
highest  elevation  east  of  Katahdin,  can  be  seen  to  the  north 
of  Bald  Head.    It  is  twenty-eight  hundred  feet  high  and 


about  forty  miles  distant.  From  Bald  Head  to  the  extreme 
southern  point  of  view  is  over  fifty  miles. 

The  aforegoing  pages  are  intended  for  practical  use  as  a 
guide  to  the  Falls.  No  attempt  at  description  has  been 
made  beyond  what  was  absolutely  necessary  to  secure  this 
object,  and  this  for  two  reasons:  firstly,  the  limits  of  this 
book  would  not  permit  a  description  of  the  various  points 
of  interest  in  detail;  and,  secondly,  the  writer  is  conscious 
of  his  inability  to  depict  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  this 
wonderful  place.  If  there  were  only  two  or  three  points  of 
interest,  i:  .vould  be  not  very  difficult  to  tell  all  about  them  ; 
but  they  are  innumerable.  This  may  sound  like  exaggera- 
tion, but  it  is  not.  It  is  the  sober  truth,  that,  outside  of  the 
town  plat,  every  foot  of  the  peninsula  is  interesting.  The 
universal  verdict  of  those  who  thoroughly  explore  it  is  that 
it  is  unrivalled.  The  writer  spent  two  days  of  1879  with  a 
high  Dominion  official,  whose  home  is  not  far  from  Niagara, 
in  visiting  those  of  the  chief  points  to  be  got  at  in  that 
length  of  time.  As  we  stood  at  nightfall  looking  down  into 
the  lower  basin,  whose  pale-blue  water,  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  below  us,  bore  upon  its  bosom  masses  of  foam  as 
it  moved  majestically  on  between  its  forest  walls,  he  said, 
"  This  exceeds  my  utmost  expectations.  It  is  unquestiona- 
bly the  finest  scenery  in  Canada." 

Lord  Dufferin,  who  visited  the  Falls  in  1873,  declared 
publicly  that  the  scenery  was  finer  than  any  he  had  then 
seen  in  Canada.  Such  testimony  as  this  could  be  multiplied 
a  thousand-fold. 

At  whatever  time  during  the  season  of  open  water  a 
tourist  may  select  to  visit  the  Grand  Falls,  he  will  find 
them  an  object  of  great  interest.  There  is  always  a  large 
flow  of  water  over  them.  This  is,  of  course,  greater  in  the 
month  of  May  than  at  any  other  period;  and  during  that 
month  the  Falls  and  the  gorge  present  a  scene  of  indescriba- 
ble grandeur.     The  spring  freshet  usually  adds  over  fifteen 


" 


RESTING   RETREATS. 


27 


/'       ♦ 


feet  to  the  depth  of  the  river  above  the  Falls,  and  increases 
its  breadth  considerably.  When  one  thinks  that  all  this 
immense  body  of  water  passes  through  the  gorge,  which 
at  some  places  is  not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  wide,  it  is 
easy  to  believe  that  the  result  must  be  a  terrible  struggle 
between  the  rocks  and  the  water.  And  so  it  is.  The 
Falls  are  then  about  twice  as  wide  as  at  low  water,  but  are 
not  more  than  ten  to  twenty  feet  in  height ;  and  the  water, 
forced  into  the  narrow  passage,  rises  in  a  vast  wave  higher 
than  the  top  of  the  cataract.  Vast  columns  of  spray 
shoot  high  into  the  air  as  though  forced  up  by  some  huge 
engine.  The  commotion  of  the  water  is  terrible.  At  one 
moment  it  presents  a  level,  seething,  yellowish-white  sur- 
face; suddenly  a  fearful  gulf  will  open,  disclosing  bare 
black  rocks  a  hundred  feet  below.  For  an  instant  it  will 
seem  as  though  some  unseen  power  was  about  to  rend  the 
sides  of  the  gorge  in  twain  as  the  gulf  widens  more  and 
more ;  but  quick  as  thought  its  watery  walls  close  together 
in  a  foam-crested  wave,  with  a  crashing  roar  louder  than 
thunder.  Never  is  the  appearance  the  same  for  a  minute  at 
a  time. 

The  visitor  in  June  will  not  have  such  good  opportunities 
of  seeing  the  rocks  as  he  would  have  later  in  the  season ; 
but  the  rapids  are  finer,  and  the  cataract  grander,  then, 
than  in  midsummer.  An  opportunity  is  also  afforded  in 
June  to  observe  the  "logs  going  through."  Very  large 
quantities  of  lumber  are  cut  upon  the  head  waters  of  the 
St.  John,  and  floated  down  the  river.  This  necessitates 
the  passage  of  thousands  of  logs  through  tlie  gorge,  and  it 
is  extremely  interesting  to  watch  them.  To  give  an  idea 
of  the  power  of  the  rapids,  and  at  the  same  time  of  the 
depth  of  the  water,  it  may  be  mentioned,  that,  just 
above  the  bridge,  there  is  at  half  freshet  a  fall  of  a  few 
feet,  caused  by  a  sudden  narrowing  of  the  channel  and  a 
consequent  heaping-up  of  the  water  behind.     Logs  from 


28 


OPEN  SEASON. 


I 

(I 


I 

^1 


twenty  to  forty  feet  long  coming  over  this  fall  are  Ou,iried 
down  out  of  sight  in  the  seething  pool  below,  and,  after 
remaining  buried  for  a  few  moments,  spring  up,  as  if  shot 
from  a  cannon,  clear  of  the  water.  Others  will  be  borne 
along  perpendicular,  half  their  length  out  of  water,  spin- 
ning like  a  top. 

Strawberry  season  begins  at  the  Falls  about  the  first  week 
in  July.  This  is  a  matter  of  some  importance,  because 
there  is  no  place  in  the  world  where  better  strawberries  can 
be  had,  or  more  of  them.  If  one  has  a  fancy  for  "  a  plate 
of  rich  strawberries  all  smothered  with  cream,"  he  won't  be 
disappointed  if  he  asks  for  it  anywhere  along  his  route,  from 
Woodstock  up,  after  the  first  of  July.  Perhaps  the  best 
time  of  all  to  see  the  Falls  is  the  latter  part  of  September, 
when  partridges  are  ripe,  and  Jack  Frost  has  breathed  upon 
the  forests.  The  tinting  of  these  Northern  forests  in  au- 
tumn is  superb,  and  nowhere  has  it  a  finer  effect  than  when 
in  combination  with  the  lichens  and  mosses,  the  rocks  and 
the  water  at  the  Falls. 

Parties  spending  a  few  days  at  the  Falls,  and  desiring  a 
little  trout-fishing,  can  have  it  without  any  difficulty.  With- 
out particularizing,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  two  or  three 
streams  empty  into  the  St.  John  in  the  neighborhood,  upon 
which  there  is  very  good  fishing,  although  in  none  of  them, 
except  Salmon  River,  seven  miles  away,  are  the  trout  large. 
The  Rapides  des  Ferames  Stream  is  three  miles  below  the 
village,  on  the  western  bank  of  the  river.  There  is  a  beau- 
tiful fall  here  about  one  hundred  feet  high.  Here  is  located 
the  Salmon  Hatchery,  which  of  course  is  well  worthy  a  visit. 
In  the  fall  large  flocks  of  ducks  frequent  this  portion  of  the 
St.  John,  although  the  locality  is  rather  unsuited  to  shoot- 
ing water-fowl,  owing  to  the  rapid  current,  which  renders  it 
nearly  impossible  to  approach  the  game,  except  from  up 
stream,  without  being  observed. 

Not  the  least  interesting  feature  of  a  visit  to  the  Falls  is 


.: 


i 


RESTING  RETREATS. 


29 


the  opportunity  afforded  to  study  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  French  habitans  and  the  Danish  immigrants.  Two 
races  of  people  more  diverse  in  their  manners,  customs,  and 
ideas,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find. 


X 


^1 


4 


! 


CHAPTER  III. 

AROOSTOOK. 

^UE  fertility  of  Aroostook  County,  Maine,  is  almost 
proverbial.  The  first  settlers  were  attracted  by  the 
rich,  deep  intervales  along  the  river-bank ;  but,  as 
these  became  occupied,  the  highlands  were  taken  up, 
and  found  to  be  equally  productive.  The  county  lies, 
for  the  most  part,  north  of  the  watershed  between 
the  rivers  of  Southern  Maine  and  the  St.  John,  which  the 
British  Government  for  a  long  time  contended  was  the 
boundary  between  the  United  States  and  New  Brunswick. 
The  province  of  Quebec,  or  Lower  Canada  as  it  was  then 
called,  also  claimed  this  territory.  A  glance  at  the  map  will 
show  that  the  Aroostook  River  is  very  crooked,  and  one 
would  naturally  conclude  that  its  course  would  be  character- 
ized by  the  beauty  of  the  scenery.  Such  is  emphatically  the 
case.  The  views  along  the  St.  John  are  grander,  but  they 
could  not  be  more  beautiful ;  while  tho  elegance  of  the  farm- 
houses, and  high  cultivation  of  the  fields,  gives  the  Aroostook 
a  character  which  the  St.  John  abov<5  Andover  can  scarcely 
claim  as  yet ;  for  it  must  be  remembered,  that  in  no  part  of 
New  England  has  agriculture  been  more  successfully  prose- 
cuted than  in  this  far-off  comer  of  Maine.  This  latter  fact 
is  being  every  day  more  and  more  appreciated,  and  a  tide 
of  immigration  is  steadily  setting  in  that  direction.  It  will 
30 


. 


<» 


•I        « 


4i 


S5ECTXONAL  MAP  OF  GREEN  KIVEK. 


dh 


i» 


be  many  years  before  lUo  xailiions  of  acres  of  magnificent 
upland  here  are  occupied,  even  at  the  present  rate  of  settle- 
ment ;  but  when  they  are,  and  this  rich  region  pours  the 
wealth  of  its  products  down  to  the  cities  by  the  sea,  the 
whole  State  will  enter  upon  a  new  era  of  great  and  perma- 
nent prosperity.  The  most  southerly  town  in  Aroostook  is 
Houlton,  which  has  already  been  referred  to.  It  does  a 
large  buvsiness  in  the  lower  part  of  the  county,  and  formerly 
commanded  the  trade  of  the  whole  of  it ;  but,  as  settlement 
increased,  extensive  business  establishments  grew  up  in  the 
interior,  which,  with  the  construction  of  the  New  Bruns- 
wick Railway,  have  removed  the  centre  of  trade  to  the 
valley  of  that  river  from  which  the  county  takes  its  name. 
Houlton,  however,  continues  to  be  a  prosperous  town.  The 
New  Brunswick  Railway  has  a  branch  line  up  the  Aroos- 
took Valley,  which  is  operated  as  a  main  line  in  connection 
with  the  line  below  Aroostook  Junction.  From  the  Junc- 
tion to  the  boundary  line  is  four  miles.  A  passing  view  of 
the  Aroostook  Falls  is  afforded  from  the  train,  which,  after 
the  boundary  is  passed,  runs  along  the  river-bank,  disclosing 
a  series  of  charming  views.  At  seven  miles  from  the  Junc- 
tion Fort  Fairfield  is  reached,  —  a  pretty  village  prettily 
situated,  and  a  trade-centre  of  considerable  importance. 
The  fort  from  which  the  village  takes  its  name  stood  on  the 
hill  overlooking  the  railway-station.  It  was  built  in  the 
days  of  the  bloodless  Aroostook  war,  and  has  long  since 
been  dismantled.  A  part  of  the  escarpment  remains,  and 
one  of  the  barracks ;  and  the  imaginative  tourist  may  stand 
on  the  commanding  height,  and  people  the  peaceful  valley 
below  with  contending  armies,  if  he  can  emancipate  hia 
mind  from  the  influence  of  the  genius  of  peace  and  con- 
tentment which  rests  upon  the  landscape.  The  view  from 
the  fort  is  very  fine.  The  village  has  good  hotels,  and 
claims  to  be  the  most  hospitable  place  beneath  the  stars 
and  stripes,  and,  what  is  more  to  the  purpose,  has  merit 


i' 


on  which  to  basf  its  claim.  Twft^^«»  «'»"e8  up  the  lovely 
river  valloy  bring.-.  uf>  to  Uaiibou  Station,  so  called  from 
the  village  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream.  Caribou 
claims  to  be  the  smartest  town  in  the  country,  and  looks 
forward  to  a  prosperous  future,  which  is  unquestionably  in 
store  for  it,  and  the  near  approach  of  which  is  evidenced  by 
the  growth  of  trade.  It  has  a  fine  large  hotel,  situated  on 
an  elevation,  a  pleasant  place  to  make  youi"  headquarters  for 
a  day  or  two  while  you  drive  along  the  many  country  roads 
which  centre  here.  New  Sweden  is  only  a  short  distance 
away. 

Fourteen  miles  from  Caribou  is  Presoue  Isle,  a  very 
thriving  town,  the  largest  in  Aroostook  except  Houlton.  It 
has  a  capital  hotel  ^  and,  although  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
there  is  not  much  to  interest  tourists,  it  has  always  been  a 
point  of  importance  to  anglers  and  sportsmen,  as  some  of 
the  best  localities  for  tishing  and  hunting  are  very  readily 
reached  from  it.  Mars  Hill  is  a  prominent  elevation  six- 
teen hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  and  situated  just  at  the 
boundary-line.  The  drive  around  the  base  of  the  mountain 
is  very  beautiful.  In  every  direction  throughout  Aroostook 
are  enterprising  villages,  and  the  people  are  marked  by  their 
intelligence  and  admirai^le  business  habits.  A  more  pros- 
perous section  uf  country  it  would  be  difficult  to  find. 


i  ^ 


I 


■^ 


L 


CHAPTER  IV. 


WHERE  TO  GO  FISHING.  — THE  SALMON 

STREAM. 

N  the  following  pages  a  few  of  the  leading  fishiog 
"trips"  to  be  reached  via  the  New  Brunswick  Rail- 
way are  described,  and  a  few  hints  given  to  those 
who  have  no  experience  in  life  "along  the  stream. " 
No  attempt  has  been  made  to  mention  all  the  places 
where  one  may  go  for  a  good  day's  sport.  In  de- 
scribing the  various  ways  in  which  a  pleasant  day  may  be 
spent  around  Grand  Falls,  mention  has  been  made  of  several 
streams  where  trout  can  be  taken  at  any  time  during  the 
summer.  There  are  hundreds  of  such  places  along  the  St. 
John,  above  Woodstock,  to  which  no  reference  whatever  can 
be  made.  A  simple  catalogue  of  their  names  would  make 
a  fair  pamphlet.  The  only  resorts  which  space  will  permit 
a  description  of  are  a  few  of  the  leading  ones  which  combine 
good  fishing,  choice  scenery,  and  the  necessity  of  camping 
out.  Little  can  be  said  to  assist  any  one  in  making  a  choice 
between  them,  except  that  there  need  be  no  fear  of  disap- 
pointment in  selecting  either.  The  South-west  Mira- 
michi.  This  excellent  salmon  stream  is  reached  from 
Kent  Station  on  the  New  Brunswick  Railway.  A  party  of 
anglers  can  suit  their  own  convenience  as  to  where  they  will 
procure  their  outfit.     Those  who  already  have  the  appliances 

33 


J 


,  I 


34 


OPEN   SKA80N. 


for  camping  and  sport  will  of  course  bring  them  with  them. 
Those  who  have  not  can  purchase  good  outfits  at  Bailey's  or 
Dalzel's  in  St.  John,  or  at  Fredericton.     Provisions  for  the 


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MAP  OF  THE   SOUTH-WEST   MIRAMICHI   RIVER. 
Railtoay  and  Telegraph  Stations  thus:—  Kent. 


trip  should  be  purchased  before  leaving  the  towns  for  the 
forest.  The  country  stores  may  happen  to  be  "  short "  on 
the  very  lines  wanted  most.  Sportsmen  should  bring  their 
own  tents  if  possible. 


:. 


I 

4| 


II 

i 


f  I 


f^'.iVy 


RESTING   RKTKEATS. 


nf) 


arrangements  for  a  team  to  be  rea«ly  on  the  arrival  of  the 
train  have  been  made  by  telegraph,  to  camp  on  the  bank 
of  the  Miramichi  the  first  niglit  after  leaving  Boston, 
though  too  late,  perhaps,  to  hook  a  saltnon.  The  Mira- 
michi is  a  large  river  with  innnmerable  branches,  and  has 


SCENR  ON  MIRAMICHI. 

a  general  course  from  west  to  east  across  the  Province 
of  New  Brunswick,  finally  emptying  its  waters  into  the  Gulf 
of  St.  Lawrence.  The  best  place  for  salmon  is  on  the  south- 
west branch,  which  is  only  fifteen  miles  from  Kent  Station. 
From  the  point  where  the  road  from  the  station  strikes  the 
river  to  Boiestown  — where  the  fisherman  will  either  turn 


M 


36 


OPEN   SEASON. 


about,  and  return  the  way  he  has  come,  or  go  by  highway 
to  Fredericton  —  is  sixty  miles.  The  best  salmon-hole  is 
at  Burnt  Hill,  about  twenty-five  miles  down  stream  from  the 
point  of  embarkation.  Other  favorite  places  are  the  Clear- 
water Rocky  Bend,  Rocky  Brook,  and  Three-Mile  Rapids. 
The  salmon  are  not  as  large  as  on  the  Restigouche,  being 
rarely  taken  above  twenty-five  pounds  in  weight ;  but  they 
are  very  gamey,  and  he  who  kills  one  of  them  need  not 
fear  to  try  his  hand  at  a  forty-pounder.  As  an  instance 
of  the  abundance  of  these  noble  fish,  it  may  be  mentioned 
that  Mr.  E.  H.  of  Fredericton,  one  of  the  owners  of  the 
fishing-privileges  on  the  stream,  took  twenty  salmon  and 
grilse  in  an.  afternoon.  On  one  occasion  he  killed  five  -full- 
grown  salmon,  and  hooked  the  sixth,  but  lost  him,  within 
an  hour  at  the  Rocky  Bend.  This  same  gentleman  has 
taken  sixty  salmon  in  a  fortnight ;  but  then  he  is  a  very 
king  with  the  rod  and  fly.  Grilse,  or  young  salmon,  afford 
a  great  deal  of  sport.  They  are  a  very  active  fish,  weighing 
from  two  to  five  pounds.  A  general  opinion  prevails  among 
fishermen  that  the  grilse  is  a  two-years  old  salmon.  SmoU, 
as  the  young  salmon  is  called  in  England  as  soon  as  it  be- 
gins to  migrate,  have  in  that  country  been  caught,  marked, 
and  set  free  again.  The  same  fish  have  been  taken  six  or 
eight  weeks  later,  weighing  then  from  three  to  five  pounds. 
The  late  Duke  of  Athole  caught  a  salmon  in  the  Tay  weigh- 
ing just  ten  pounds.  It  was  marked,  and  returned  to  the 
river,  in  the  lower  part  of  which  it  was  caught  after  five 
weeks  and  two  days,  vv^hen  it  was  found  to  weigh  twenty 
pounds  and  a  quarter.  From  the  facts  one  is  apt  to  con- 
clude that  our  fishermen  are  in  error;  but,  be  this  as  it 
may,  it  is  impossible  to  have  better  sport  than  grilse  afford; 
and,  when  the  fisherman  has  hooked  one,  he  has  little  time 
to  discuss  the  question  of  age,  for  his  best  skill  is  needed 
foi'  his  fish.  The  right  of  fishing  on  the  South-west  Mira- 
michi  belongs  to  private  persons ;  but  heretofore  no  objec- 


•     .* 


f 


T 


«      * 


RESTING   RETREATS. 


37 


•«       V 


> 


tion  has  been  made  to  strangers  going  thither,  and  the 
writer  has  been  informed  by  one  of  the.  proprietors  that  the 
stream  is  open  to  the  public  for  fly-lishing.  There  is  good 
trout-fishing  here.     The  scenery  on  the   South-west  Mira- 


SNAKE-BROOK   MOUNTAIN,   SOUTH-WEST   MIRAMICHI. 


michi  near  Boiestown  lacks  boldness,  but  in  the  upper  por- 
tion of  the  river  is  very  fine.  High  hills  succeed  each  other, 
with  deep  ravines  clad  with  beautiful  forests.  The  varied 
shades  of  green  on  these  hillsides  is  somewhat  remarka- 
ble, and  relieves  the  scenery  of  any  thing  like  monotony. 


m 


About  fifteen  miles  above  Boiestown  is  a  somewhat  remark- 
able cascade  on  Falls  Brook,  a  tributary  stream,  the  waters 
of  which  descend  over  one  hundred  feet  in  a  perpendicular 
fall.  From  Boiestown,  a  road  forty-five  miles  long  leads 
to  Fredericton,  the  capital  of  New  Brunswick;  and  car- 
riages can  be  obtained  for  conveyance  there.  For  a  long 
distance  the  road  follows  the  Nashwaak  Valley,  and  at  three 
miles  from  Fredericton  passes  the  village  and  mills  of 
Marysville,  owned  by  Mr.  Alexander  Gibson,  one  of  the 
busiest  and  prettiest  places  in  the  province.  The  Meth- 
odist Church  here  is  a  perfect  gem  in  its  way,  and  was 
built  by  Mr.  Gibson,  at  a  cost  of  fifty  thousand  dollars, 
for  the  use  of  his  family  and  employees.  It  is  free  to  all, 
however,  rmmediately  opposite  Fredericton  is  Gibson,  one 
of  the  termini  of  the  New  Brunswick  Railway;  and  the 
best  course  to  take  on  arriving  here  is  to  go  up  the  railway 
to  Grand  Falls,  and  rest  for  a  day  or  two  before  returning 
home.  Persons  desirous  of  really  first-class  salmon  and 
trout  fishing  are  strongly  urged  to  try  this  trip. 

The  Tobique.  It  is  said  by  some  travellers  that  the 
River  Tpbique,  a  tributary  of  the  St.  John,  is  the  most 
picturesque  stream  in  America.  Whether  this  be  entirely 
true  or  not,  the  claim  is  not  made  without  many  good 
grounds.  Directly  across  New  Brunswick,  in  two  direc- 
tions, run  great  belts  of  azoic  rock.  They  are  convergent, 
having  their  apex  not  far  from  Vanceboro  Station  on  the 
European  and  North  American  Railway.  One  belt,  that 
with  which  we  are  concerned,  extends  in  a  north-easterly 
direction  to  the  Bay  Chaleur.  It  is  along  the  northern 
side  of  this  that  the  Tobique  runs;  and  its  picturesque- 
ness  is  due  to  the  striking  shapes  into  which  the  Silurian 
rocks  were  thrown  when  this  great  mass  of  granite  and  por- 
phyry rose  from  the  cleft  earth.  The  Tobique  affords  ex- 
cellent fishing.  It  is  a  great  spawning-ground  for  salmon, 
and  the  trout  in  its  waters  are  legion.     It  is  about  sixty-three 


,4 


MAP 

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SECTIONAL  MAP  UF  TpBIQUE    KIVEK. 


.i-4. 


RESTmG   RETREATS. 


89 


miles  from  its  junction  with  the  St.  John  to  the  Nictau 
or  the  Forks,  where  the  river  divides  into  three  branches, 
each  some  fifty  miles  long.  Andover  Station,  New  Bruns- 
wick Railway,  is  two  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Tobique. 


p|ih.,„.,     3^j^iif»^  fe,,-;.-»^  ^  ^. 


liilil*'  - 


T0BIQU3  NARROWS. 


Here  the  tourist  who  is  to  ascend  the  Tobique  should  stop 
for  a  day  to  engage  a  guide  and  canoe.  These  can  be  hired 
at  the  Indian  Village,  which  stands  on  the  point  just  above 
where  the  St.  John  receives  the  waters  of  its  great  tributary. 
This  Indian  Village  contains  a  representation  of  the  story 


of  the  crucifixion, — p,  curious-looking  structure  of  wood ;  and 
it  will  repay  a  visit  by  giving  an  insight  into  the  present 
way  of  living  of  the  descendants  of  as  hardy  a  race  of 
warriors  as  ever  trod  the  green  forests  of  America.  A  few 
simple  men  and  women,  without  a  single  trace  of  the  long- 
faded  glory  of  their  nation,  they  live  in  this  lovely  spot  in 
wretched  imitation  of  civilized  life.  Good  trusty  guides 
are  t?  e  men,  strong  and  active  in  their  canoes,  wonderfully 
adept  with  the  salmon-spear ;  but  every  thing  like  romance 
or  heroism  is  as  completely  gone  as  if  it  had  never  existed. 
They  bear  their  yoke  of  conquest  heavily,  and,  though  uncon- 
scious of  it,  are  staggering  beneath  it  to  a  grave. 

The  entrance  to  the  Tobique  is  between  a  flat  island  and 
a  flat  mainland ;  but  a  mile  farther  on  perpendicular  walls 
of  rock  raise  their  heads  on  either  shore.  The  Narrows  of 
the  Tobique  afEord  a  striking  bit  of  scenery.  They  are  about 
half  a  mile  long,  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  feet  wide,  the  walls 
beiuf  in  some  places  one  hundred  and  fif  cy  feet  high.  In 
midsummer  the  water  forms  a  succession  of  black  fathom- 
less pools  with  short  chutes  between  them,  —  at  times  of 
freshet,  as  wild  a  rapid  as  one  need  care  to  see.  A  stranger 
gazing  on  the  torrent  that  seethes,  boils,  and  dashes  against 
the  rocks  at  these  seasons,  would  scai'cely  believe  that  every 
year,  when  the  waters  are  at  their  wildest  fury,  hundreds 
of  rafts  are  run  through  the  Narrows ;  yet  such  is  the  fact. 
And  exciting  work  it  is,  requiring  skill  and  daring;  but  in 
these  great  requisite"  no  man  is  more  endowed  than  the 
New  Brunswick  woodsman.  Rough  he  may  be  to  look 
upon;  but  his  heart  is  as  true,  and  his  hand  as  firm,  as  those 
of  any  mailed  knight  who  ever  couched  his  lance 

"  For  God  and  his  fair  lady." 

The  river  valley  widens  out  above  the  Narrows,  and  in  its 
windings  presents  a  wonderful  variety  of  scene.  Now  our 
canoe  seems  afloat  on  some  lake  shut  in  by  hills;  in  a  moment 


., 


1 


-. 


RESTING   RETREATS. 


.41 


a  grand  passage  opens  through  the  wall  of  living  green,  and 
a  long  vista  stretches  before  us  with  mountain-tops  on  the 


PLASTER  ("LIFF. 


far-off  horizon.     Here  a  snug  farmhouse  stands  by  the  river- 
bank,   with  a  hoiuplike  look   about  it ;   hero  a  rough  crag 


42 


OPEN   SEASON. 


raises  its  yioary  liead  against  the  sky;  here  long,  low  lands, 
here  queer-looking  round  hills,  like  exaggerated  haystacks, 
make  up  the  landscapes.  At  twenty-eight  miles  from  the  St. 
John  is  the  great  Plaster  Cliff,  an  enormous  deposit  of  red 


BLUE   MOUNTAIN,  TOBIQUE   RIVER. 

gypsiferous  sandstone  interstratified  with  pure  white  fibrous 
gypsum.  Tt  has  a  frontage  on  the  river  of  half  a  mile.  Its 
height  at  the  point  shown  in  the  illustration  is  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  feet.  The  summit  of  the  rock  is  worn  by 
the  action  of  the  frost  and  water,  so  as  to  give  it  the  appear- 
ance of  a  gigantic  ruin  to  one  drifting  by  it  in  the  evening 


Jt 


RESTING  RETREATS. 


43 


. 


twilight.  Twelve  miles  farther  up  the  stream  is  Blue 
Mountain  Bend.  The  Blue  Mountains  have  an  elevation 
of  sixteen  hundred  feet  above  the  sea-level.  The  view  from 
them  is  very  fine.  At  the  Bend  is  somewhat  of  a  remarka- 
ble echo.  If  a  pistol-shot  is  fired  on  the  shore  opposite  the 
red  cliff,  just  below  the  turn  in  the  river,  the  report  will 
come  back  sharp  and  clear;  and  then  the  mountain-gorges 
will  take  it  up,  and  it  will  roll  away  up  the  ravines,  dying 
away  like  distant  thunder.  No  other  New  Brunswick  river 
presents  so  striking  a  scene  as  those  in  which  the  Blue  i\Ioun- 
tains  form  a  part.  Ten  miles  beyond  the  Bend  is  the  Riley 
Brook  settlement.  Every  one  who  goes  up  the  Tobique 
should  leave  the  river  here,  and  ascend  Bald  Head,  a  peak 
which  rises  about  five  miles  to  the  south,  and  occasional 
glimpses  of  which  can  be  had  through  the  foliage  along  the 
river-bank.  Nowhere  can  one  get  so  good  an  idea  of  what 
the  wilds  of  New  Brunswick  are  like  as  from  the  top  of  this 
mountain;  for  its  commanding  position  makes  it  worthy  the 
title.  Bald  Head  is  twenty-two  hundred  feet  high,  and  is 
almost  a  complete  cone,  its  summit  having  about  half  the 
area  of  an  ordinary  railway-car.  The  ascent  is  extremely 
steep;  but  the  broken  porphyry  rocks  give  capital  foothold 
and  handhold,  when  necessary.  It  can  be  ascended  only  on 
the  northern  and  western  sides.  On  the  south  and  east  it 
is  nearly  perpendicular  for  about  a  thousand  feet.  It  rises 
from  a  valley,  the  elevation  of  which  is  about  six  hundred 
feet  above  sea-level ;  and  the  rugged  summit,  sixteen  hun- 
dred feet  overhead,  seems  almost  ready  to  fall  upon  the  ob- 
server. The  approach  to  this  valley  is  by  a  forest-road ;  and 
the  glimpses  of  the  mountain-peak  through  the  dense  foli- 
age are  a  never-to-be-forgotten  sight.  The  view  from  the 
summit  is  extremely  fine.  Far  away  on  the  south-western 
horizon  Katahdin's  summit  stands  clearly  out  against  the 
paler  blue  of  the  sky;  to  the  north,  a  nest  of  mountains  and 
the  grand  dome  of  Bald  Mountain ;  to  the  west,  a  tiny  patch 


44 


OPEN   SEASON. 


of  light  green,  just  where  the  ^orest  and  sky  meet,  marks 
the  top  of  the  mountain  in  the  rear  of  Grand  Falls ;  to  the 
north-west  is  a  magnificent  table-land,  covered  for  four  hun- 
dred square  miles  with  dense  birch  and  maple  forest,  a  few 
mountain-peaks  breaking  the  smooth  outline  of  the  horizon ; 
to  the  south,  a  wide  valley  flanked  by  conical  hills,  behind 
which  range  follows  range  till  the  eye  cannot  distinguish  the 
earth  and  sky.  For  one  hundred  miles  the  Tobique  pursues 
its  winding  course  within  the  range  of  vision,  and  here  and 
there  glimpses  of  its  shining  surface  meet  the  eye.  The 
whole  county  of  Victoria  with  its  million  acres,  a  large  part 
of  Carleton,  and  portions  of  York,  Madawaska,  Northum- 
berland, Gloucester,  and  Restigouche,  are  within  the  field  of 
view,  and  this  from  a  summit  so  small,  that,  standing  on 
the  northern  edge,  one  can  throw  a  stone  a  foot  in  diameter 
across  the  mountain-top,  and  send  it  thundering  down  a 
thousand  feet  or  more  on  the  southern  side. 

The  Nictau,  or  Forks,  is  an  enchanting  spot.  A  settler 
has  lately  gone  there,  and  his  chopping  and  cabin  somewhat 
mar  the  beauty  of  the  spot ;  yet  it  is  beautiful  still.  Three 
rivers  meet  here  in  a  deep  pool,  wherein  one  may  see  huge 
salmon  swimming,  tall  trees  throwing  their  shadow  and 
image  upon  the  water. 

The  fishing  thus  far  is  very  good  so  far  as  numbers  go ; 
but  the  fish  are  not  large.  It  is  necessary  to  know  where  to 
fish;  but  this  the  guides  can  tell.  At  the  foot  of  Forbes 
Island,  three  miles  below  Nictau,  the  writer  caught  trout 
on  one  occasion  as  fast  as  he  could  drop  his  flies  upon  the 
water,  using  two  rods,  with  another  person  to  take  off  the 
fish.  He  has  fished  the  stream  many  times,  and  always  had 
good  sport.  Of  the  streams  into  which  the  Tobique  divides 
Nictau,  the  Left-hand  branch,  or  Little  Tobique  (the  geo- 
graphical Right-hand  branch)  is  the  best  for  trout.  The 
right-hand,  or  Campbell  River,  is  a  favorite  resort  for  sal- 
mon.   The  Mamozekel,  or  centre  branch,  is  not  a  very 


«    I  * 


RESTING   RETREATS. 


4.^] 


I 


good  stream  for  fish.  It  is  a  straiigo  fact  tliat  salmon  will 
only  go  to  the  right-hand  branch,  and  white-fish  only  to  the 
left-hand  branch.  One-half  niihi  from  Xictau,  on  the  Left- 
hand  Branch,  is  the  celebrated  \\'hite-fish  Hole.     There  is 


GREAT   WHITE-FISH   HOLE,   LITTLE   TOBIQUE   LAKE. 


usually  good  trout-fishing  there.  If  trout-fishing  is  all  that 
is  wanted,  the  Little  Tobique  is  the  best  branch  to  ascend. 
Tobique  Lake  is  the  source  of  this  branch,  a  pretty  sheet  of 
water  famed  for  its  big  trout,  the  flat  rock  in  the  centre 
where  fishermen  pitch  their  tents  sometimes,  and  the  rocky 


46 


OPKN    SEASON. 


(lom«  of  Bald  Mountain  on  its  southern  shore.  Bald  Moun- 
tain is  not  very  dilticult  of  ascent,  and  the  view  from  the 
summit  is  grand  in  tlie  extreme.  From  Tobiiiue  Lake  a 
portage  of  three  n»iles  leads  to  Bathursf,  or  Nijtisiguit  Lake, 


LITTLE  TOBIQUE  LAKE. 


the  source  of  the  Nipisiguit,  a  fine  stream  for  salmon  and 
trout,  emptying  into  the  Bay  Chaleur  Fishermen  frequent- 
ly ascend  the  Tobique,  and  descend  the  Nipisignit,  or  vice 
versa.  It  is  recommended  to  any  who  can  spare  the  neces- 
sary time,  —  say  at  least  a  fortnight.     No  one  ever  ascends 


UKSr^NCJ    UKTRKATS. 


47 


the  Miiinozckel  for  sport.  It  ruiKS  into  a  perfect  nest  oi 
mountains,  so  much  Jilike  that  it  is  difHcult  to  tell  one  from 
the  otlier.  The  Campl^ell  Kiver  is  a  rapid,  rocky  stream, 
flanked  in  plac(\s  l)y  [)alisades  two  hundred  feet  higli.   There 


SCENE  ON  LITTLE  TOBIQUB  LAKE. 


is  good  trout-fishing-  in  it,  and  many  salmon  are  speared" 
there.  It  is  suggested  that  good  casts  for  salmon  might  be 
found  at  the  Falls,  six  miles  up,  the  Salmon  Hole,  a  mile 
farther,  and  at  Serpentine  Falls,  on  the  tributary  of  that 
name,  about  seven  miles  beyond  the  Salmon  Hole.  The 
merits  of  these  places  in  this  respect  have  yet  to  be  tested. 


:!-■■! 
i  j- 

'if 
i' 


Within  a  few  years  the  Tobique  will  have  to  be  struck 
off  the  list  of  streams  which  with  their  fishing  combine  the 
charm  of  roughing  it ;  but,  until  that  time  does  come,  it  is 
strongly  recommended  to  tourists  who  will  be  satisfied  with 
good  fishing  and  admirable  scenery;  while,  except  on  the 
head  waters  and  in  a  few  places  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
river,  the  number  of  fish  to  be  caught  is  smaller  than  on 
some  of  the  trips  to  be  described  hereafter,  the  beauty  of 
the  stream,  the  almost  tropical  luxuriance  of  vegetation, 
the  grandeur  of  the  landscape,  give  it  the  very  front  rank 
among  the  forest  streams  of  New  Brunswick.  '  ' 

Above  the  Tobique  a  number  of  tributaries  enter  the  St. 
John,  but  none  that  need  be  mentioned  here  until  Grand 
River,  fourteen  miles  above  Grand  Falls,  is  reached.  The 
station  and  telegraph -office  is  called  St.  Leonards.  Grand 
River  is  not  much  esteemed  for  its  fishing,  but  is  worthy 
of  mention  as  being  a  favorite  way  of  reaching  the  Resti- 
gouche,  the  greatest  of  all  Canadian  salmon  streams,  where 
forty-pound  giants  lie  waiting  for  the  well-directed  fly,  and 
hundreds  of  sportsmen  and  sportswomen,  from  princesses 
of  the  blood  to  poaching  habifans,  have  gained  magnificent 
piscatorial  triumphs.  It  is  twelve  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
Grand  River  to  the  Wagan,  a  little  stream  running  from  the 
north.  A  portage  of  three  miles  leads  to  the  Wagansis,  a 
branch  of  the  Restigouche.  The  trip  across,  or  **  through 
the  Alders"  as  it  is  called,  is  a  little  tough  at  the  start;  but, 
when  the  Restigouche  is  reached,  it  is  easy  enough.  The 
when  the  Restigouche  is  reached,  it  is  easy  enough.  The 
right  of  salmon-fishing  on  all  the  principal  streams  is  held 
by  lessees  under  the  Fedei-al  or  local  Governments.  Per- 
mission to  fish  is  usually  accorded  to  visitors  by  the  lessees. 
Such  of  the  privileges  as  are,  or  become,  vacant  are  sold  at 
public  auction  at  Frederioton.  Further  information  on  this 
point  can  be  obtained  from  tliC  Crown-Land  Office,  Frederic- 
ton, 


7 


1-i 


I 


I 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  TROUT  STREAMS, 

IDMUNDSTON,  the  northern  terminus  of  the  New 
Brunswick  Railway,  is  thirty-nine  miles  from  Grand 
Falls,  and  fiveliundred  and  thirty-six  from  Boston. 
It  is  prettily  situated  on  rising  ground,  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Madawaska  and  St.  John.  Behind 
the  town  rise  high,  wooded  hills,  forming  a  back- 
ground against  which  the  white  houses  of  the  village  stand 
out  clearly.  Viewed  from  the  Block-House  Hill,  an  emi- 
nence on  the  lower  side  of  the  River  Madawaska,  where  the 
British  Government  in  troublous  times,  now  happily  for- 
gotten, erected  a  stronghold  the  stone  walls  of  which  yet 
remain,  Edmundston  makes  a  lovely  picture.  Entering  the 
village,  we  find  it  regularly  laid  out,  but  only  partially 
built  up  according  to  the  street  lines,  with  two  or  three 
nice  dwelling-houses  and  a  very  good  hotel.  The  views 
from  the  town  and  neighboring  hills  are  superb,  —  on  the 
one  side  rugged  and  picturesque,  as  one  would  expect  the 
hills  and  crags  to  be  against  whose  summits  for  so  many 
months  of  the  year  the  winds  from  the  Labrador  expend 
their  fury;  on  the  other,  clothed  with  a  mellow  beauty 
which  gives  the  scene  almost  a  tropical  aspect.  A  few  steps 
from  the  centre  of  the  village  an  irregular  rock  rises  above 
the    roadway,   and    affords    a    fine    outlook,  especially  in 

49 


■  I 

t 

h 


I 


I  i 


!    i 


I 


a 


IS 


50 


OPEN  SEASON. 


the  evening,  when  the  sun  is  setting.  The  St.  John,  always 
majestic,  moves  slowly  along  to  the  sea,  and  for  ten  miles 
you  mark  its  course  as  it  passes  between  rich  lowlands  and 
around  islands  fringed  with  alder  and  elm.  The  gently 
sloping  hills  are  cleared  to  the  summit,  and  a  half-dozen 
hamlets  nestle  at  their  feet,  with  here  and  there  a  tall 
church-spire  from  which  the  soft  tones  of  the  angelus  are 
borne  to  us  on  the  quiet  air.  The  sombre  front  of  Mount 
Carmel,  nine  miles  away,  contrasts  grandly  with  the  rich 
blue  of  the  sky ;  and  the  long  still  reaches  of  water  mirror 
the  landscape  in  every  detail.  The  scene  is  a  hallowed 
one.  On  these  fertile  shores,  then  covered  with  mighty 
pine-trees,  a  band  of  exiles  from  "  the  Acadian  land  "  rested 
after  long  wanderings,  and  these  are  their  descendants, 
whose  "homes  of  peace  and  contentment*'  we  are  looking 
upon. 

Edmundston  boasts  of  little  except  its  scenery  to  inter- 
est the  stranger.  Yet,  if  "  the  proper  study  of  mankind  be 
man,"  this  town  and  the  district  of  which  it  is  the  centre 
afford  a  theme  well  worthy  of  careful  investigation.  In 
some  respects  the  hahitan  of  to-day  is  just  as  his  ancestors 
were  a  century  and  a  half  ago.  The  plain,  unvarnished 
truth  is  that  contact  with  Englishmen  and  Americans  of 
the  rougher  sort  has  robbed  them  of  much  of  that  noble 
simplicity  of  manner  which  characterized  the  generation  of 
which  only  a  few  white-haired  relics  remain.  Yet  now  and 
then  we  meet  one  of  the  old  sort,  whose  kindly  face  and 
courteous  demeanor  stamp  him  a  gentleman.  Such  as  these 
have  a  simple  code  of  honor  which  is  refreshing  in  these 
days  of  bonds  and  registrations,  and  guaranties  and  defal- 
cations. Unable  to  read  or  write,  they  neither  give  nor 
expect  any  other  surety  of  good  faith  than  a  promise.  They 
are  courteous  with  a  politeness  that  is  never  servile,  un- 
shaken in  their  faith  in  the  Church  and  her  teachings, 
giving  freely  while  they  live  of  their  substance  for  religion 


RESTING  RETREATS. 


61 


and  charity,  and,  dying,  never  forget  to  provide  for  masses  to 
be  said  for  the  repose  of  the  soul.  Unfortunately,  these  fine 
types  of  one  of  the  purest-hearted  races  which  ever  lived  are 
fast  passing  away.  To  those  who  know  well  the  character  of 
the  Acadian  French,  Longfellow's  grand  poem  comes  with 
peculiar  freshness  and  beauty.  Very  many  of  the  hdbitans 
speak  English.  It  is  customary  to  make  much  sport  of  the 
French  spoken  by  them ;  but  it  is  not  half  as  bad  as  it  is 
represented  to  be.  Of  one  thing  one  may  be  certain:  if 
he  undertakes  to  converse  in  French  with  a  habitant  and  is 
not  understood,  he  may  safely  conclude  the  fault  is  with 
himself.  The  Madawaska  people  may  have  degenerated; 
but  they  have  not  yet  got  so  low  that  they  can  understand 
the  ordinary  French  of  the  school  graduate. 

About  five  miles  below  Edmundston,  on  the  Canadian 
side  of  the  river,  is  the  convent  and  school  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  an  institution  of  more  than  a  local  fame.  The 
chapel  of  St.  Basil,  at  the  same  place,  is  a  very  fine  structure 
of  wood. 

But,  beautiful  and  interesting  as  its  surroundings  are, 
Edmundston's  chief  claim  to  the  consideration  of  tourists 
consists  in  its  being  the  headquarters  of  the  great  fishing- 
trips  of  the  Upper  St.  John.  A  reference  to  the  large  map 
published  herewith  will  show,  that,  within  a  short  distance 
of  Edmundston,  three  considerable  tributaries  enter  the 
St.  John :  these  are  the  Madawaska,  at  the  mouth  of  which 
the  village  is  situated,  Green  River,  nine  miles  below,  and 
Fish  River,  twenty  miles  above.  Several  smaller  branches 
of  the  St.  John  will  also  be  noticed ;  but  it  is  proposed  to 
describe  only  the  larger  streams  and  lakes.  In  all  the 
tributaries  of  the  St.  John  above  Grand  Falls  there  is 
generally  very  good  trout-fishing.  Salmon  cannot  at  present 
ascend  above  the  Grand  Falls;  but  when  the  Dominion 
Government  build,  as  they  propose,  a  fishway  through  the 
canal  at  the  great  cataract,  the  upper  water  of  the  river  will 


52 


OPEN   SEASON. 


become  a  famous  salmon-ground.  Fishermen  who  desire  to 
take  sahnon  will  find  ample  directions  where  in  a  former 
chapter. 

The  largest  fish  taken  in  the  Upper  St.  John  is  the  toque, 
or  toledi  (which,  by  the  way,  some  claim  are  the  names  of 
distinct  varieties  of  fish).  The  average  weight  of  these  is 
from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  pounds.  Occasional  specimens 
are  taken  weighing  thirty-five  pounds.  They  are  shaped 
somewhat  like  «  salmon,  and  marked  somewhat  like  a 
trout;  are  good  eating,  though  a  little  coarse.  They  do 
not  take  the  fly,  but  are  speared,  or  taken  by  trawling.  The 
whitefish  (poiniu  noir)  is  also  found  abundantly  here.  They 
are  a  beautiful  fish,  weighing  from  half  a  pound  to  a  pound. 
They  smell  exceedingly  like  a  cucumber,  and,  when  cooked 
and  eaten  fresh  from  the  water,  are,  in  the  opinion  of 
many,  far  superior  either  to  trout  or  salmon.  When  large, 
they  are  speared,  but  generally  are  netted.  They  take 
neither  bait  nor  the  fly.  Trout  are  innumerable,  and  of  all 
sizes,  from  the  little  brook-trout  of  an  ounce  weight  to  mag- 
nificent six  and  seven  pounders.  If  it  is  possible  to  become 
surfeited  with  trout-fishing,  here  one  may  be.  Although, 
as  everywhere  else,  skill  counts  for  much,  and  secures  geh- 
erally  the  best  prizes,  any  person,  no  matter  how  awkward 
he  may  be  with  the  rod  and  line,  is  certain  of  good  sport 
if  he  have  a  good  guide.  Nearly  all  the  "trips"  can  be 
made  by  ladies  without  discomfort  or  even  inconvenience 
The  ordinary  means  of  locomotion  is  the  log  canoe  or 
peroigue  (pronounced  pe-roig).  This  will  carry  three  per- 
sons, including  the  guide  and  their  camping  fit-out.  It  is 
better  for  each  person  to  have  a  canoe.  French  guides  can 
be  procured  for  one  dollar  per  day.  They  will  furnish  the 
canoes,  blankets  for  their  own  use,  plates,  &c.,  and  can  gen- 
erally supply  a  few  simple  "cooking- tools,"  as  their  phrase  is. 
The  fisherman  must  provide  the  tent,  his  personal  outfit,  and 
the  provisions.     Some  persons  prefer  Indian  guides.     Their 


^- 


o 

(a 
w 

o 

l-H 

<! 

"3 


'  > 


BESTING  RETREATS. 


53 


charge  is  about  the  same.  They  generally  use  birch-bark 
canoes.  These  are  much  lighter,  and  generally  more  grace- 
ful, than  the  peroigue,  and  quite  as  steady  in  the  water; 
but  the  latter  are  stronger.  Large  parties  are  recom- 
mended to  take  a  hatteau^  —  a  wide  boat  with  pointed 
ends,  well  adapted  to  carry  heavy  loads,  and  run  rapids. 
In  such  a  case  canoes  ought  to  be  taken ;  but  so  many  will 
not  be  required  as  in  cases  where  the  baggage  of  the  party 
is  transported  in  them.  No  directions  can  be  given  as  to 
the  quantity  of  provisions  to  be  taken.  Of  the  *'  staples,"  — 
pork,  potatoes,  tea,  and  flour,  —  the  guide  will  tell  about 
how  much  will  likely  be  required.  In  the  matter  of  "  inci- 
dentals each  person  must  consult  his  own  taste  and  the  space 
at  his  disposal  in  his  canoe.  A  few  simple  articles  not 
strictly  necessaries  will  be  found  to  come  in  play  very  well, 
such  as  pickles,  coffee,  condensed  milk,  sugar,  cheese,  and 
one  or  two  other  things  which  a  glance  around  a  grocery- 
store  will  suggest.  It  is  prudent  to  take  some  good  lini- 
ment on  such  a  trip,  something  good  for  internal  as  well  as 
external  use,  the  change  in  the  manner  of  living  often  ren- 
dering something  of  the  kind  very  valuable.  In  the  matter 
of  tents,  the  best  is  none  too  good,  if  it  be  not  too  heavy 
and  complicated ;  but  a  square  piece  of  cotton  will  do  very 
well  in  the  absence  of  any  thing  more  elaborate.  Indeed, 
if  one  has  good  health,  a  good  long  cruise  may  be  made 
without  taking  any  shelter;  for  the  guide  can  easily 
extemporize  one ;  and,  if  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  a  bed 
on  the  ground  before  a  huge  fire,  with  nothing  between  you 
and  the  stars,  and  little  more  between  you  and  mother-earth, 
will  bring  pleasant  dreams  and  a  sure  appetite  for  break- 
fast. Every  one  of  a  party  ought  to  have  two  good  woollen 
blankets  and  a  rubber  one.  They  can  manage  with  less, 
however,  very  comfortably.  In  the  absence  of  rubber  blan- 
kets, a  piece  of  oiled  canvas  will  be  found  serviceable  for 
the  protection  of  clothing  and  provisions  in  case  of  rain. 


I 


Mi|i 


11- 


54 


OPEN  SEASON. 


In  the  matter  of  clothing,  each  must  consult  his  own  conven- 
ience as  to  quantity.  Any  strong  material  will  do.  Wool- 
len socks  are  much  the  best  kind  ;  and,  whatever  else  you 
leave  behind,  take  at  least  one  extra  pair  of  these.  Low 
shoes  are  preferable  to  boots,  as  they  let  the  water  out ;  for 
wet  feet  and  fishing  are  inseparable.  Therefore  a  pair  of 
stout  leather  slippers,  to  be  worn  in  camp  at  night,  are  a 
source  of  great  comfort.  As  this  book  may  fall  into  the 
hands  of  those  whose  fishing  expeditions  have  never  led 
them  far  away  from  settlements,  the  above  suggestions  are 
made,  not  as  covering  every  thing  needed  on  a  long  trip  (for 
many  things  are  required  which  are  not  mentioned,  and  your 
guide  will  see  that  you  do  not  forget  them),  but  simply  as 
hints  to  secure  comfort.  Novices  ought  to  remember  that 
towels  do  not  grow  on  alder-bushes,  nor  is  soap  to  be  picked 
up  on  the  beaches. 

Good  guides  can  be  obtained  at  Andover,  Grand  Falls,  or 
Edmundston  without  difficulty.  It  is  not  usually  necessary 
to  engage  them  in  advance ;  but,  if  requested,  the  hotel-keep- 
ers at  any  of  the  towns  will  do  so. 

The  FISH  River  or  Eagle  Lakes.  This  trip  is 
wholly  within  the  State  of  Maine.  Fish  River,  as  before 
mentioned,  enters  the  St.  John  about  twenty  miles  above 
Edmundston,  and  at  its  mouth  is  the  pretty  little  village 
of  Fort  Kent.  The  scenery  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort 
Kent  is  very  picturesque:  the  hills  are  higher  and  more 
conical  than  lower  down  the  river,  the  islands  more 
numerous,  the  river  more  winding,  and  its  banks  closer 
together.  Fish  River  drains  a  series  of  eight  lakes,  and  the 
fishing-trip  may  be  all  down  stream.  Guides  and  canoes 
had  better  be  arranged  for  at  Edmundston,  and  sent  up 
the  St.  John  to  Frenchville,  a  most  beautiful  spot  five  miles 
from  Edmundston.  From  Frenchville  a  portage  of  five 
and  bne-half  miles  leads  to  Long  Lake,  the  source  of  one  of 
the  branches  of   Fish  River.     This  point  is  seventy-five 


O  T 


dT 


KESTINO   RETREATS. 


55 


miles  by  water  from  Fort  Kent,  or  ninety-five  from  Edmund- 
ston.  A  direct  course  down  stream  will  pass  through  Mud 
Lake,  Cross  Lake,  Square  Lake,  and  Eagle  Lake.  The 
shores  of  Long  Lake  are  largely  settled :  tlie  others  are  yet 


NEAR  FRENCHVILLE,   MB. 


f    ft 


in  a  wilderness  state.  The  scenery  is  very  beautiful,  and 
there  are  many  quick  runs  of  water  which  give  a  life  and 
zest  to  canoeing.  Fishing  is  very  good, — not  perhaps  entirely 
equal  to  what  it  is  in  some  other  streams,  but  on  the  whole 
well  worth  going  for.     When  the  head  of  Eagle  Lake  is 


* 


■r 


'  I'i' 


56 


OPEN  SEASON. 


reacLedy  two  routes  present  themselyes  to  the  fisherman. 
He  may  either  continue  down  the  lake  to  the  mouth  of  the 
stream,  or  ascend  the  West  Forks  through  Upper  Lake  to 
Eagle  or  Portage  Lake  (a  distance  of  about  forty  miles), 
whence  a  short  carry  will  take  the  canoes  into  the  Little 
Machias,  a  tributary  of  the  Aroostook.  It  follows  also,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  that  Fish  River  may  be  reached  from  the 
Aroostook;  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  very  many  parties  go 
that  way.  Formerly  by  way  of  Houlton,  and  thence  by 
stage  forty-five  miles  to  Presque  Isle;  now  the  route  pre- 
ferred is  by  rail  over  the  Aroostook  branch  of  the  New 
Brunswick  Railway. 

Green  River  is  a  tributary  of  the  St.  John,  entering  the 
main  stream  from  the  east,  about  nine  miles  below  Edmund- 
ston.  Excepting  its  extreme  head  waters,  it  lies  wholly 
within  New  Brunswick.  It  is  a  large  stream,  and  takes  its 
name  from  the  color  of  the  water,  which  is  so  marked  as  to 
be  observable  for  some  distance  after  its  junction  with  the 
St.  John.  There  is  a  railway  station  at  the  mouth  of  Green 
River ;  but  it  is  better,  under  existing  arrangements,  to  go 
to  Edmundston,  and  there  make  preparations  to  ascend  the 
stream.  If  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  are  travelling 
together,  and  a  few  hours'  fishing  is  all  that  is  wanted,  a 
very  pleasant  way  to  spend  a  couple  of  days  is  to  drive  from 
Grand  Falls  to  Edmundston  (the  distance  is  thirty-eight 
miles),  and  stop  for  a  little  while  to  fish  at  the  Lower  or  First 
Falls  of  Green  River.  These  Falls  are  reached  by  a  road 
about  a  mile  long,  which  leaves  the  main  highway  at  Green 
River  Station.  In  ordinary  seasons  one  is  sure  to  have  very 
good  sport,  and,  if  the  time  is  very  favorable,  fine  large  trout 
may  be  taken  here.  Canoes  can  be  obtained  at  the  Falls 
for  a  sail  up  the  stream ;  and  altogether  a  pleasant  time  may 
be  had  if  the  materiel  for  a  picnic  is  taken  along.  The 
highway  enables  the  tourist  to  see  the  many  beautiful  land- 
scapes much  better  than  he  can  from  the  railway  train,  for 


MAP  OF  EAGLE  OR  FISH  RIVER  LAKES. 
liailway  Stations  and  Telegraph  Offices  marked  thvs :—  St.  Leonards.       Highways 


\ 


" 


11 


(      »•. 


■•rj 


.:^.     k 


t> 


BESTING  RETREATS. 


57 


■' 


.i 


;    "%■ 


the  reason  that  the  former  runs  for  the  most  part  nearer  the 
river  than  the  latter.  It  is  well  worth  while,  for  those  who 
live  in  cities,  or  whose  ideas  of  a  country  poad  are  derived 
from  occasional  jaunts  through  the  farming  districts  of  the 
New-England  States  to  spend  a  day  in  leisurely  passing 
through  a  part  of  this  Madawaska  country.  Nowhere  will 
they  see  more  beautiful  landscapes,  and  nowhere,  at  least  in 
North  America,  a  quainter  people.  One  thing  is  especially 
noticeable :  the  habitan  always  shows  deference  to  strangers. 
If  he  meets  them  in  a  narrow  place  in  the  road,  his  anxiety 
to  make  the  passing  easy  for  them,  no  matter  at  what  incon- 
venience to  himself,  is  so  intense  as  sometimes  to  be  amus- 
ing. If  you  meet  a  troop  of  children  returning  from  school, 
no  matter  in  what  sport  they  are  engaged  as  your  carriage 
passes,  the  little  folks,  girls  and  all,  become  quiet,  and  the 
hats  are  doffed  with  an  easy  grace  a  city  swell  might  envy. 
You  may  shower  upon  them  the  most  execrable  French,  or 
with  gestures,  and  the  half-dozen  French  words  everybody 
knows,  endeavor  to  carry  on  a  conversation,  the  habitan  will 
never  betray  his  amusement  or  astonishment  even  by  a 
smile,  but  will  answer  you  in  his  own  language,  even 
though  he  repeats  what  he  has  to  say  in  English.  As  you 
pass  a  wayside  brook,  you  will  see  a  party  of  buxom  women 
washing  their  clothes  beside  a  great  fire,  and,  in  lieu  of 
using  a  washboard,  pounding  each  article  with  a  short,  flat 
piece  of  wood.  So  primitive  are  all  the  domestic  appoint- 
ments, that,  were  it  not  for  the  telegraph  lines  by  the  road- 
side and  the  railway  track  not  far  away,  one  would  almost 
think  he  had  been  transported  back  to  his  grandfather's 
days.  If  the  party  drive  up  from  Grand  Falls,  they  had 
better  go  on  to  Edmur'ston.  About  two  miles  above 
Green  River  Station  a  large  cross  stands  by  the  roadside. 
The  view  from  this  point  up  river  is  beautiful  beyond 
description.  The  late  Hon.  Joseph  Howe  declared  it  to  be 
the  finest  in  all  Canada.    If  it  is  not  proposed  to  extend 


58 


OPEN  SBAS6n. 


the  drive  any  farther  up  river,  the  return  to  Grand  Falls 
should  be  by  the  Western  or  United  States  shore  of  the 
river,  passing  through  the  smart  little  village  of  Van  Buren 
with  its  mills  and  immense  starch-factories. 

Those  who  propose  to  ascend  Green  River  should  go  by 
train  to  Edmundston,  and,  putting  the  camping-kit  into 
an  express-wagon,  drive  to  Albert^s  on  Green  River,  about 
twelve  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  stream.  A  road  across 
the  country  makes  the  distance  from  Edmundston  to  Al- 
bert's about  eight  miles.  It  passes  over  some  lofty  hills, 
from  one  of  which  the  whole  course  of  the  St.  John,  for 
forty  miles,  lies  with  the  range  of  view.  Canoes  can  be 
obtained  at  Albert's,  and  guides  as  well,  generally :  never- 
theless, it  is  advisable  to  guard  against  disappointment  by 
making  inquiries  at  Edmundston  as  to  the  likelihood  of 
getting  them,  and,  if  it  appears  doubtful,  to  take  them  from 
there.  Good  fishing  begins  immediately,  the  trout  increas- 
ing in  size  as  you  ascend  the  stream.  You  can  catch  just  as 
many  as  you  wish.  The  writer  and  two  others,  while  drift- 
ing down  the  first  four  miles  above  Albert's,  took  twenty- 
five  dozen  fine  trout  in  three  hours.  A  gentleman  who 
visited  Green  River  lakes  in  the  summer  of  1879  says  that 
the  catch  of  trout  was  so  large,  that  he  and  his  companions 
discontinued  fishing,  as  "it  seemed  wasteful  to  kill  more 
than  v^e  could  carry  away.  As  it  was,  we  took  half  a 
canoe-load,  and  might  easily  have  filled  it."  There  is  this 
differance  between  Green  River  and  most  other  streams :  in 
the  former,  one  can  take  trout  anywhere;  in  the  latter, 
unless  one  has  a  good  guide,  he  may  have  very  poor  sport. 
It  is  twenty  miles  from  Albert's  to  the  Forks.  The  right- 
hand  branch  (the  left  going  up)  leads  to  the  lakes,  and 
affords  the  best  fishing.  Very  large  trout,  whitefish,  and 
toledi  are  taken  here.  The  lakes  are  four  in  number,  the 
first  three  being  about  the  same  size,  —  say  two  miles  long 
by  a  mile  wide.     The  fourth  lake  is  smaller.     There  are  no 


w  i. 


4^1 


I 


4  k 


<^''  Im!  K      State 
'   y '  i  Of 


SECTIONAL  MAP. 


ii 


)• 


Tiillttiriii'liiiiir 


dangerous  rapids  on  Green  River.  The  scenery  is  pictur- 
esque. High  hills  shut  in  the  river  for  most  of  its  course, 
which  is  very  winding,  affording  an  ever-changing  pano- 
rama of  islands,  ravines,  and  noble  forest-crowned  sum- 
mits. The  clear  limpid  water,  the  smooth,  curved,  gravelly 
beaches,  the  hundred  shady  nooks  where  the  living  green 
can  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  its  reflection  in  the 
water,  and  above  all,  the  fish,  so  plentiful  that  no  sportsman 
is  so  poor  as  not  to  have  good  luck,  form  a  combination  of 
attractions  hard  to  be  resisted. 

The  Temiscouata.  and  the  lakes  connected  with  it 
hold  out  the  greatest  attractions  to  sportsmen,  or  tourists 
in  search  of  the  beautiful.  The  attention  of  the  reader  is 
directed  to  the  sectional  map,  and  he  is  asked  to  note  the 
position  of  Edmundston.  He  will  observe  that  the  Mada- 
waska  River  is  the  outlet  of  a  large  lake,  Temiscouata,  — 
a  sheet  of  water  twenty-eight  miles  long,  with  an  average 
width  of  five  miles.  On  the  eastern  shore  is  the  mouth  of 
the  Toledi,  which  river,  at  seventeen  miles  from  Temiscou- 
ata, divides  into  three  branches;  the  west  branch  draining 
two  very  considerable  lakes ;  the  centre  or  Grande  Fourche 
also  getting  its  water  from  lakes ;  and  the  east  branch  or 
Squatook  flowing  through  a  series  of  lakes,  and  in  a  line 
nearly  parallel  to  Temiscouata,  one  of  its  branches  taking 
its  rise  in  a  little  sheet  of  water  only  two  and  one-half  miles 
from  the  Madawaska  River,  at  Griffin's^  sixteen  miles  from 
Edmundston.  The  Toledi  and  its  tributaries  flow  through 
country  yet  in  a  state  of  nature;  so  that  not  only  do  the 
streams  and  lakes  teem  with  fish,  but  game  of  all  kinds, 
from  the  lordly  moose  to  plump  partridges,  abounds  on 
the  hillsides.  Mr.  Levite  Thertiault,  M.P.P.,  who  has  a 
summer  residence  at  the  mouth  of  the  Toledi,  informed 
the  writer  that  in  the  fall  of  18V9,  while  drifting  down 
the  stream  in  his  canoe,  from  the  first  Toledi  lake  to  the 
mouth,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  he  saw  four  bears  and 


60 


OPEN   SEASON. 


- 1 


two  caribous.  Very  few  persons  visit  these  waters  in  the 
summer  for  hunting,  although  many  do  for  the  sake  of 
the  fishing.  The  reason  of  this  is  easily  understood.  The 
class  of  visitors  has  largely  consisted  of  young  men  out 


4fi  . 


*"' 


SCENE   ON   MADAWASKA. 


for  a  short  holiday,  young  fellows  wdth  crude  notions  of 
fishing,  and  none  at  all  of  hunting.  Now  and  then  some 
sportsman  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word  find  his  way 
there,  and  enjoys  a  few  weeks  of  as  thorough  I'orest  life  as 
he  could  get  in  the  most  retired  fastnesses  oj.   the   Rocky 


i 


^ 


•^ 


BESTING  RETEEATS. 


61 


Mountains.  In  1879  the  Hon.  W.  W.  T.  of  Portland,  Me., 
took  his  degree  of  K.R.  (Knight  of  the  Rifle)  by  a  skilful 
shot  on  the  shores  of  the  Fourth  Squatook  Lake,  which 
brought  to  his  feet  a  gigantic  black  bear.  Mr.  McD.,  a 
high  State  official  at  Ottawa,  owns  three  lakes  in  Quebec, 
where  he  "cultivates"  trout  for  his  private  fishing.  He 
was  tempted  two  years  ago  to  visit  the  Toledi,  and  try  his 
skill  there,  and  now  his  carefully  protected  lakes  miss  their 
own  when  summer  comes ;  for  he  is  away  on  these  forest- 
locked  lakes  and  streams. 

If  one,  on  arriving  at  Edmundston,  only  has  a  day  at  his 
disposal,  and  wishes  to  spend  that  upon  the  water,  it  is 
recommended  that  he  confine  himself  to  the  Madawaska 
River.  A  very  pleasant  course  to  adopt,  when  there  is  a 
party  of  two  or  more,  is  to  send  the  canoes  up  the  stream, 
and  drive  in  a  carriage  to  the  place  of  meeting,  and  there 
picnic.  The  sail  home  in  the  evening  will  be  most  delight- 
ful, and  very  good  fishing  can  be  had.  The  Madawaska  is 
a  large  and  very  beautiful  stream.  It  consists,  for  the  most 
part,  of  a  succession  of  deep  pools  separated  by  short  rapids, 
but  none  of  them  rough  enough  to  make  even  the  most 
nervous  feel  timid,  if  we  except  ■  vhat  is  called  the  Little 
Falls  at  Edmundston,  which,  hr  <■  tot,  it  ii  not  necessary  to 
pass.  In  many  places  the  cleu  :ings  reaf,h  the  river-bank  ^ 
but  for  the  most  part  the  trees  a^ong  th*^  shore  are  standing, 
and  give  the  landscape  all  those  ll4,-.cs  and  shadows  and 
clear  mirroring  of  the  foliage  which  render  river  scenery 
in  the  forest  so  enchanting.  Words  cannot  do  justice  to 
the  quiet  enjoyment  of  an  evening  spent  in  this  way.  It 
may  be  true  enough  that 

"  Atra  cura  post  equitem  sedit; " 

but  the  grim  spectre  has  never  learned  how  to  follow  a 
swiftly  gliding  canoe  when  the  peace  of  a  summer  sunset 
rests  upon  nature,  and  no  sound  breaks  the  stillness  but 


62 


OPEN  SEASON. 


the  murmur  of  the  rapids  and  the  even-song  of  the  birds. 
Does  poetry  delight  you  most,  then  you  will  find  a  rhythm 
in  the  motion  of  your  little  craft  and  the  beat  of  the  wave- 
lots  on  yonder  beach  that  the  masters  of  the  pen  can  only 
feebly  imitate ;  are  you  an  artist,  then  see  how  Nature  lias 
pictured  herself  in  that  deep  pool  where  eveiy  detail  of  the 
landscape  is  reproduced,  but  softened,  and  made  more  beau- 
tiful even  than  the  reality.  But  if  you  are  not  of  this  sort, 
but  only  a  practical  fellow  who  would  like  a  nice  trout  for 
breakfast,  then  let  your  flies  drop  just  opposite  where  that 
little  brook  trickles  down  the  bank,  and,  my  word  for  it, 
before  the  canoe  has  floated  by,  you  will  get  one. 

For  a  trip  of  less  than  a  week's  duration,  the  canoes  should 
be  sent  to  Cloutier's,  a  wayside  inn  twenty-eight  miles  from 
Edmundston,  and  nearly  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Toledi. 
Unless  it  is  intended  to  make  Cloutier's  the  headquarters 
for  the  trip,  and  return  there  every  night,  a  full  camp  equip- 
ment ought  to  be  taken  along.  Having  proceeded  to  Clou- 
tier's in  carriages,  the  party  will  set  off  at  once  across 
Lake  Temiscouata,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Toledi.  Here  is  the 
best  place  to  take  whitefish  to  be  found  in  the  maritime 
provinces  of  Canada,  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  barrels  of 
these  having  been  taken  at  the  time  of  ^he  fall  run  in  1878. 
About  a  mile  from  the  Temiscouata  are  the  Falls  of  the 
Toledi,  around  which  canoes  have  to  be  carried  when  ascend- 
ing the  stream.  Above  this  point  an  uninterrupted  stretch 
of  smooth  sluggish  water  extends  to  the  Forks,  a  distance 
of  sixteen  miles.  As  a  general  thing,  there  is  not  very  good 
fishing  in  localities  similar  to  this ;  but  the  Toledi  is  some- 
what exceptional,  and  very  nice  trout  can  be  taken  at  the 
points  where  small  spring  brooks  contribute  their  waters  to 
the  main  stream.  Owing  to  the  calmness  of  the  water,  a 
canoe  can  be  propelled  along  this  part  of  tbd  journey  with 
the  paddle  alone,  and  about  a  day  will  be  occupied  in  making 
the  distance.     At  least  another  day  should  be  spent  at  the 


^x. 


T: 


RESTINO  KBTKBAT8. 


68 


Forks  in  fiBhing,  which  is  very  excellent  there  at  all  sea- 
sons. From  the  Forks  to  Edmundston  is  about  a  day  and  a 
half's  journey  when  the  wind  is  favorable.  Parties  consisting 
of  gentlemen  only  ought  to  ascend  either  the  West  Branch 
or  the  Grande  Fourche.  Both  afford  excellent  fishing ;  the 
latter  perhaps  the  best,  especially  above  the  Big  Jam,  which 
is  about  a  mile  from  the  junction  of  the  streams.  The  cur- 
rent will  be  found  quite  rapid,  and  progress  will  have  to 
be  made  by  "poling."  This  is  the  invariable  method  of 
propelling  a  canoe  against  rapid  water.  If  there  is  one 
canoeman,  he  stands  in  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  and  shoves  it 
along  with  a  pole  about  ten  feet  long.  This  is  very  easy  to 
write ;  but  the  thing  itself  is  not  so  easy  to  do,  as  many 
a  no  srice  who  has  found  his  first  attempt  followed  by  an 
ignominious  tumble  into  the  water  can  testify.  The  skill 
with  which  the  French  or  Indian  guides  will  force  their 
loaded  canoes  up  foaming  rapids,  their  quick  judgment  to 
seize  any  little  advantage  offered  by  a  projecting  rock  below 
which  there  is  ever  so  slight  an  eddy,  the  grace  with  which 
they  preserve  their  balance  when  the  pole  loses  its  hold 
on  the  slippery  rocks,  are  really  rem'arkable.  It  may  be 
well,  perhaps,  to  say  here  that  there  is  little  or  no  danger 
in  canoeing  on  these  streams.  As  a  general  thing,  in  those 
places  where  the  water  is  deep  enough  to  make  a  fall  into 
it  perilous,  nothing  but  the  grossest  carelessness  will  lead 
to  an  overturn.  The  writer  has  gone  many  hundred  miles, 
in  his  canoe,  and  up  and  down  as  rough  bits  of  water  as 
are  generally  considered  navigable  by  craft  of  any  kind, 
and  has  never  known  an  accident  to  happen  more  serious 
than  an  occasional  wetting  resulting  from  carelessness.  So 
little  danger  is  there,  and  the  chances  for  undue  exposure 
are  so  slight,  that  ladies  frequently  make  some  of  the 
longest  and  most  difficult  fishing-trips. 

Around   the  Lakes.     This    is  a  favorite   trip,   and 
justly  so.    Edmundston  is  the  starting-point,  and  the  course 


I  • 


is  up  the  Madawaska  to  Griffin's,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles. 
From  this  point  a  portage  of  two  and  a  half  miles  to  the 
east  leads  to  a  small  sheet  ct  water  known  as  Beardsley 
or  Mud  Lake.  Oxen  can  be  obtained  at  Griffin's  for  the 
transportation  of  the  impedimenta  and  canoes  over  this  road ; 
and,  if  he  meets  with  no  drawback,  the  fisherman  ought  to 
"  boil  the  kettle "  the  first  night  on  the  shores  of  Fourth 
Squa-took  Lake,  twenty  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  Edmund- 
ston  by  land,  but  nearly  one  hundred  by  water,  and  down 
stream  all  the  way.  To  those  who  have  never  sailed  down 
rivers  and  lakes  through  miles  of  forest,  it  is  useless 
to  try  to  describe  the  glorious  trip ;  to  those  who  have,  it 
unnecessary :  but,  entre  nous,  it  would  be  impossible  any 
way.  There  is  something  about  it  which  cannot  be  put 
on  paper,  or  on  canvas  either.  Here  is  a  catalogue  of  the 
attractions, — a  hundred  miles  of  noble  lakes  and  beautiful 
rivers,  forests  abounding  in  game,  waters  teeming  with  fish, 
hosts  of  wild  fowl,  and  lovely  scenery.  From  the  top  of 
Squa-took  Peak,  a  conical  hill  which  rises  from  the  shore 
of  the  Third  Lake,  an  excellent  idea  can  be  obtained  of 
what  a  Canadian  forest  is  like.  About  three  hundred 
square  miles  lies  within  the  field  of  vision ;  and  everywhere, 
except  on  the  western  horizon,  where  a  line  of  light  green 
shows  the  settlements  on  the  west  of  the  Temiscouata,  or 
where  some  lake  or  stream  glistens  in  the  sunlight,  is 
unbroken  forest.  From  Squa-took  Peak  the  forest  reaches 
for  two  hundred  miles  to  the  east,  south-east,  and  north-east, 
without  a  break,  or  as  far  as  from  Boston  to  the  head  of 
Lake  Champlain  in  a  direct  line.  The  trip  around  the 
lakes  can  be  made  in  four  or  five  days ;  but  it  is  better  to 
take  a  longer  time,  halting  to  ascend  some  of  the  tributary 
streams,  or  the  main  Toledi  itself,  when  the  Forks  are 
reached.  A  tourist  with  only  four  or  five  days  at  his  dis- 
posal is  recommended  to  select  some  of  the  other  routes 
herein  spoken  of. 


RESTING    KETREATS. 


65 


»,' 


From  all  these  excursions  the  return  to  Edmundston  is  in 
canoes.  Every  part  of  them  may  be  made  by  water,  except 
the  portages;  but  it  is  preferable  to  begin  some  of  them, 
as  has  been  recommended,  in  carriages.     The  reason  of  this 


SCENE  ON   SQUA-TOOK. 


is,  that  the  rate  of  progress  up  stream  is  somewhat  slow, 
except  the  water  be  sluggish,  as  it  rarely  is ;  and,  besides,  a 
drive  through  this  country  in  any  direction  gives  a  pleasing 
variety  to  a  holiday.  On  the  lakes  many  a  pleasant  sail 
may  be  had  when  the  wind  is  favorable.     Sometimes  it  is 


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66 


OPEN   SEASON. 


safe  to  hoist  a  sail  in  a  single  canoe.  Indians  often  stand 
a  spruce  bush  in  the  bow  of  their  "  barks,"  which  sit  almost 
upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  fly  along  at  great  speed 
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IN  CAMP  ON   SQUA-TOOK. 


i^  wanted,  it  can  be  had  with  safety  by  securing  two  or 
three  canoes  side  by  side,  but  a  little  distance  apart,  which 
can  be  easily  done  by  means  of  the  "  setting-poles,"  and 
extemporizing  a  sail  out  of  a  blanket.  As  a  general  rule, 
however,  persons  unaccustomed  to  canoeing  had  better  not 


RESTING  RETREATS. 


67 


.. 


experiment  at  novel  means  of  locomotion.  Trust  the 
guides.  Avoid  attempts  at  assistance  in  seemingly  difficult 
places,  unless  asked  for  it ;  for  what  appeai-s  to  a  novice 
an  unlooked-for  and  somewhat  perilous  emergency  is  alto- 
gether likely  to  be  nothing  at  all  out  of  course,  but  only 
one  of  the  ordinary  incidents  of  canoeing,  and  entirely  free 
from  risk  of  any  kind.  With  these  few  parting  words  of 
advice,  this  imperfect  account  of  the  fishing-trips  of  the 
Upper  St.  John  must  be  brought  to  a  close. 


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CHAPTER  VI. 

PLACES  OF  INTEREST  TO  TOURISTS. 

I T.  JOHN.  —  When  one  speaks  of  St.  John,  New 
Brunswick,  he  must  be  understood  as  including  not 
only  the  municipal  district  called  by  that  name  in 
law-books  and  legal  proceedings,  but  the  city  of  Port- 
land and  the  suburbs  of  Fairville  and  Simonds  as 
well,  which  merge  into  it.  These  two  cities  and 
their  immediate  surroundings  contain  a  population  of  about 
fifty  thousand  people,  —  all  of  whom  are  commonly  spoken  of 
as  residents  of  St.  John,  although  the  inhabitants  of  the  city 
proper  do  not  number  more  than  half  that  figure. 

Being  the  principal  city  in  the  Canadian  maritime  prov- 
inces, St.  John  is  the  objective  point  of  all  the  railway  routes 
east  of  Bangor.  Fast  trains,  —  one  of  which,  "  The  Flying 
Yankee,"  makes  the  trip  between  Boston  and  St.  John  in 
about  fifteen  hours,  connecting  at  Vanceboro'  with  trains 
for  Fredericton,  St.  Andrews,  St.  Stephen,  Woodstock,  Houl- 
ton,  and  all  points  in  northern  Maine  and  north-western 
New  Brunswick.  At  St.  John  a  new  cantilever  bridge,  now 
in  course  of  construction,  will  very  shortly  enable  connection 
to  be  made  with  the  Intercolonial  Railway  running  east  to 
Halifax,  and  the  north  shore  of  New  Brunswick,  thereby 
avoiding  the  present  troublesome  ferry  transfer.     Passen- 


■  -•-  •  ^  -     -^        .—        -.-..    ,.^^J- 


-^-M«ftAa  ^M^M 


UESTING   RETREATS. 


69 


gers  for  St.  John  will  also  be  landed  on  the  city  side  of  the 
harbor  by  means  of  this  bridge. 

St.  John  is  well  provided  with  hotels,  notably  the  Royal, 
Ihe  Dufferin,  and  the  new  Victoria,  enjoying  a  good  reputa- 
tion for  the  comforts  they  afford  guests.  Here  most  tourists 
come,  no  matter  what  is  their  particular  destination  "  down 
East."  It  is  a  sort  of  distributing  point  for  travel ;  but  its 
suiToundings  are  so  attractive  and  interesting,  that  many 
visitors  make  it  their  summer  headquarters.  ,    . 

If  you  ask  a  resident  of  St.  John  what  its  chief  attraction 
is,  he  will  probably  tell  you  that  it  is  its  delightful  climate ; 
and  however  much  a  visitor  may  difPer  with  him,  and  place 
in  the  foremost  place  the  charming  scenery  to  be  found 
within  a  radius  of  a  few  miles,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  St. 
John  summer  weather  is  thoroughly  enjoyable.  Every  one 
has  heard  of  the  famous  Bay-of-Fundy  tides.  These  at  St. 
John  rise  and  fall  a  distance  of  thirty  feet,  and  this  ceaseless 
ebb  and  flow  seems  to  produce  atmospheric  influences  which 
temper  the  heat  of  the  summer  days.  An  oppressively 
warm  day  is  an  exceptional  occurrence ;  and  when  one  does 
occur,  as  the  sun  goes  down  the  temperature  goes  with  it, 
and  the  evenings  and  nights  are  deliciously  cool,  the  air 
being  laden  with  "the  odor  of  brine  from  the  ocean."  Sani- 
tarily the  city  is  highly  commended.  The  citizens  boast 
that  at  least  once  in  twenty-four  hours  the  winds  sweep  out 
over  the  ocean  every  breath  of  impure  air  which  has  gath- 
ered in  the  city  during  the  day.  Persons  whose  physical 
health  requires  strong,  pure  air,  and  a  moderate  temperature, 
find  a  summer  in  St.  John  very  beneficial. 

Overlooking  the  cities,  the  harbor,  and  the  bay,  rises  a 
steep  hill,  known  as  Fort  Howe  at  its  western  extremity, 
and  as  Mount  Pleasant  where  it  falls  away  to  the  east. 
From  this  elevation  the  finest  view  of  St.  .John  and  its  sur- 
roundings can  be  obtained.  Fort  Howe  now  consists  of  a 
few  antiquated  cannon  and  a  dismantled  observatory;  but 


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RESTING   II ET  RE  ATS. 


71 


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time  was  when  it  was  the  scene  of  all  the  merry  life  of  an 
English  garrison,  and  there  yet  remain  many  evidences  of 
the  days  of  military  occupation.  With  one  spot,  an  old  and 
long  unused  well,  a  pleasant  memory  is  associated;  for  as 
she  stood^  beside  it,  bare-armed  and  bare-headed,  the  rosy 
"  daughter  of  the  regiment "  won  the  heart  of  William  Cob- 
bett,  then  a  soldier  in  the  Fifty-fourth  Foot,  afterwards  one 
of  the  most  powerful  of  English  writers.  He  himself  has 
told  the  story  in  his  graceful  way. 

Mount  Pleasant  is  the  suburban  home  of  some  of  the 
wealthiest  business-men  of  the  city.  It  is  crowned  by  the 
splendid  grounds  and  mansion  of  Robert  Reed,  about  being 
converted  into  an  hotel,  which  for  pleasantness  of  situation, 
and  extent  and  interest  of  prospect,  will  be  almost  unrivalled. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  landscape  and  sea  view,  which 
this  elevation  overlooks,  are  many  things  of  interest.  On 
the  southern  horizon,  "the  far  blue  hills"  of  Nova  Scotia  are 
to  be  seen,  trending  southward  until  they  are  lost  to  view, 
and  only  the  sea  line  bounds  the  range  of  vision.  Portland 
lies  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  beyond  Portland,  St.  John; 
while  the  centre  of  the  scene  is  made  up  of  the  harbor  with 
its  white-winged  ships  and  busy  steamers.  Partridge  Island 
guards  the  entrance  to  the  harbor ;  and  beyond  it  vessels  of 
all  sizes,  from  the  ocean-steamer  to  the  fishing-smack,  from 
the  full-rigged  ship  to  the  puffing  tug,  may  be  seen  coming 
and  going  over  the  waters  of  the  bay. 

All  visitors  to  St.  John  drive  out  to  the  suspension 
bridge  to  see  the  falls,  the  "reversible  cataract,"  of  which  an 
American  humorist  has  written  most  amusingly.  The  St. 
John  River,  which  a  few  miles  from  its  mouth  widens  into 
a  spacious  bay,  makes  its  exit  to  the  sea  through  a  narrow 
channel  between  high  walls  of  limestone.  The  depth  of  the 
water  here  is  very  great,  the  soundings  showing  over  seven 
hundred  feet  in  §ome  places.  Where  the  passage  between 
the  rocks  is  narrowest,  a  ledge  extends  across  the  channel. 


r:.'z:mmtz 


72 


OPEN   SEASON. 


and  over  this  the  river  falls,  the  height  and  direction  of  tho 
plunge  being  determined  by  the  state  of  the  tide.  At  low 
tide  the  fall  is  down-stream,  at  high  tide  it  is  up-stream; 
and  at  a  time  between  the  two,  there  is  no  fall  at  all,  and 
vessels  pass  up  and  down  with  perfect  safety.  The  highway 
suspension  bridge  crosses  below  the  falls,  and  the  view  from 
it  is  excellent.  The  new  railway  cantilever  bridge  lies 
nearly  parallel  to  the  suspension  bridge. 

Tlie  surroundings  of  St.  John  are  very  picturesque,  and 
several  days  could  be  enjoyably  spent  in  driving  over  the 
country  roads.  Numerous  suburban  villages  are  within  easy 
reach ;  and  some  of  them,  notably  Rothsay,  are  very  beautiful. 
Along  the  shores  of  the  Kennebeccasis,  or  the  seacoast,  or 
out  among  the  lakes  and  hills  to  the  east,  are  many  points 
of  interest.  There  is  a  good  beach  for  sea-bathing  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  city,  and  many  places  are  within  easy 
reach  where  a  day's  good  stream  fishing  can  be  had.  For 
yachting-parties,  the  channels  among  the  islands  in  the  bay, 
or,  perhaps  better  still,  the  magnificent  reaches  of  the  St. 
John  River,  offer  many  inducements;  and  yachts  can  be 
hired  without  difficulty.  For  a  short  sea-voyage,  nothing 
can  be  better  than  a  trip  across  the  bay  to  Digby  and  An 
napolis  in  the  steamers  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Line,  which  go 
over  and  back  in  a  day.  For  a  short  country  visit,  there  is 
Clifton  (the  great  strawberry  headquarters),  Sussex  Vale, 
Hampton,  and  other  charming  places.  For  a  longer  one, 
there  is  picturesque  Cape  Breton  away  to  the  east.  Indeed, 
as  a  headquarters  for  tourists  who  want  to  spend  a  holiday 
where  they  can  have  variety  in  their  pleasures,  and  see 
something  new  every  day,  it  is  difficult  to  name  a  place 
better  adapted  than  St.  John. 

In  1877  St.  John  received  its  "  baptism  of  fire,"  when  half 
the  city  was  laid  in  ashes,  and  twenty  million  dollars'  worth 
of  property  destroyed.  The  work  of  rebuilding  has  pio- 
ceeded  rapidly,  and  for  the  most  part  a  very  excellent  class  of 


RESTING   RETREATS. 


73 


structures  has  replaced  those  destroyed.  Among  them  is  the 
custom-house  (said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world),  the 
post-office,  the  city  building,  some  of  the  banks,  and  nearly 
all  the  churches :  some  of  the  latter  are  worth  a  visit ;  and 
most  tourists  go  to  see  Trinity  Church,  on  the  walls  of 
which  are  hung  the  Koyal  Arms  which  in  old  Colonial  days 
adorned  the  Council  Chamber  of  the  old  Town  House  in 
Bostcm.  A  story  is  told  of  them,  that  they  once  had  a  place 
on  the  walls  of  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  and  were  saved 
from  that  building  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  They 
have  ornamented  old  and  new  Trinity,  St.  John,  for  nearly 
a  hundred  years. 

From  St.  John,  the  trains  of  the  New  Brunswick  Railway 
afford  a  means  of  reaching  Frederictou,  the  capital  of  the 
Province,  built  on  the  river's  bank  some  eighty-five  miles 
from  the  sea. 

Fredericton.  —  Fredericton  has  direct  connection  by 
rail  with  "  Bangor,  and  all  points  west,"  by  a  branch  line  of 
the  New  Brunswick  Railway  at  Fredericton  Juncton,  where 
passengers  from  the  West  for  Fredericton  change  cars. 
With  its  suburbs,  Fredericton  can  claim  a  population  of 
nearly  ten  thousand  people.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on  a 
level  plain,  flanked  by  gently  rising  hills,  the  river  sweeping 
before  it  in  a  magnificent  curve.  "  The  Celestial  City  "  is 
the  name  by  which  the  provincialists  call  their  capital, 
—  whether  because  of  the  beauty  of  its  location,  the  super- 
excellence  of  the  people,  or  both  or  neither,  deponent  saith 
not ;  but  it  is  a  pretty  place,  and  worth  a  visit  of  "a  day  or 
two.  Its  strong  points  are  its  elm-trees  and  its  flower- 
gardens,  both  of  which  attain  remarkable  excellence.  Many 
of  the  streets  are  cotnpletely  shaded  by  the  tall  elms  which 
the  residents  of  the  la^t  generation  thoughtfully  planted;  and 
the  example  of  these  worthies  is  being  so  generally  followed, 
that,  in  a  few  yeptrs,  the  city  will  be  a  perfect  mass  of  foliage. 

Fredericton  hsia  a  tree- embowered  cathedral;  a  university 


74 


OPEN  SEASON. 


building,  situated  on  the  hillside,  and  commanding  a  mag- 
nificent river  view ;  the  Parliament  Buildings,  a  new  and 
handsome  Gothic  structure  of  grayish  freestone;  the  Gov- 
ernment House,  a  large  stone  building  in  the  centre  of  fine 
grounds;  a  well-equipped  normal  school,  and  other  places  of 
interest. 

The  suburban  drives  are  many  and  very  attractive.  One 
of  them,  known  as  "the  old  road,"  discloses  such  extensive 
and  beautiful  vistas  of  scenery,  wherever  a  break  occurs  in 
the  densely  shady  foliage,  that  many  tourists  pronounce  it 
unsurpassed.  »•      * 

Fredericton  has  lately  been  provided  with  a  fine  system  of 
water-works,  which  meet  an  objection  heretofore  made  by 
visitors,  who  complained,  and  not  without  reason,  that  the 
water  from  the  wells  was  not  wholesome.  It  has  now  one 
of  the  finest  systems  of  artificial  supply.  The  city  has  sev- 
eral good  hotels,  chief  of  which  are  the  "Barker"  and 
the  "Queen."  ,      _ 

Passengers  from  Fredericton  can  go  up  the  St.  John 
Valley  by  the  New  Brunswick  Railway,  which  has  a  branch 
line  from  Gibson,  a  village  on  the  eastern  branch  of  the 
river,  opposite  the  city. 

St.  Andrews,  —  St.  Andrews,  situated  on  Passama- 
quoddy  Bay,  is  the  coming  watering-place.  It  is  charming 
in  situation,  easy  of  access,  and  altogether  one  of  the  best 
adapted  places  for  a  summer  resort  along  the  whole  Atlantic 
Coast.  Passengers  for  St.  Andrews  change  cars  at  Vance- 
boro',  and  take  the  train  going  south.  The  town  itself  is 
a  quiet  little  place  of,  say,  three  thousand  population.  It 
was  once  the  headquarters  of  a  great  West-India  trade,  but 
the  days  of  its  commercial  greatness  are  past ;  although  its 
inhabitants  fondly  hope  it  will  one  day  become  one  of  the 
winter  ports  of  Canada.  When  this  does  happen,  the  pretti- 
est place  on  the  coast  will  be  spoiled,  from  the  tourist's  point 
of  view;  although  there  will  yet  remain  the  spacious  bay,  the 


BESTING  RETREATS. 


76 


scores  of  islands  great  and  small,  the  rivers  and  lakes  where 
trout  innumerable  await  the  angler. 

The  popularity  of  St.  Andrews  as  a  pleasure  resort  is 
annually  increasing.  Many  distinguished  Canadians  have 
summer-residences  there;  and  the  Hotel  Argyll,  built  espe- 
cially for  the  accommodation  of  tourists,  has  achieved  a  wide 
and  enviable  notoriety. 

For  bath,  boating,  yachting,  and  the  other  recreations  of  a 
summer  holiday,  St.  Andrews  is  unsurpassed.  The  old 
town  itself  is  a  pleasant  place  in  which  to  pass  a  summer. 
Its  level  streets,  its  delightful  country  walks  and  drives,  and 
the  general  air  of  restfulness  which  is  over  the  whole  vicin- 
age, are  conducive  to  the  thorough  enjoyment  of  those  who 
make  their  holidays  a  genuine  recreation. 

Passamaquoddy  Bay  is  a  splendid  land-locked  basin,  with 
an  area  of  about  one  hundred  square  miles.  The  West  Isles 
shelter  it  from  the  sea  outside,  and  make  it  almost  like  a 
lake.  It  is  a  famous  place  for  fishing ;  and  here  are  caught 
by  millions  the  little  herring,  which,  in  tin  and  oil,  are  given 
to  the  world  as  sardines.  Around  the  shores  are  many  in- 
teresting villages;  and  at  the  principal  entrance  to  the  bay 
is  Eastport,  a  town  well  known  to  all  who  travel  down  East 
by  water.  The  St.  Croix  River  empties  into  the  bay,  and 
forms  for  its  entire  length  the  international  boundary.  Up- 
on its  banks  are  situated  the  important  and  vei*y  thriving 
towns  of  Calais  and  St.  Stephen.  These  two  places  have 
connection  with  St.  Andrews  by  rail  or  by  steamer.  In 
every  respect  that  can  be  suggested,  the  situation  of  St. 
Andrews  as  a  summer  resort  is  favorable;  and  its  future 
popularity  would  seem  to  be  assured. 

A  pleasure  trip  to  any  one  of  the  delightful  spots  described 
in  this  work  will  be  greatly  enhanced  by  a  reliable  Guide. 
The  Pathfinder  Railway  Guide  is  the  official  publication 
for  New  England,  Canada  and  the  Provinces,  and  contains 
full  time-tables  and  a  large  number  of  maps.  Address— 
Pathfinder,  Boston. 


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